I 


UNIMPRE0NATED   FEMALE    FORM. 


T  H  E 

BOOK  OF  NATURE; 

CONTAINING 

INFORMATION  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 

WHO   THINK   OF 

GETTING  MARRIED, 

ON    THE 

PHILOSOPHY    OF    PROCREATION 

AN  J) 

SEXUAL    INTERCOURSE; 

SHOWING 

HOW  TO  PREVENT  CONCEPTION 

AND    TO 

AVOID  CHILD-BEARING. 

ALSO,   RULES   FOR 
MANAGEMENT  DURING^LABOR  AND  CHILD-BIRTH. 


BY  JAMES  ASHTON,  M.  D. 

Lecturer  on  Sexual  Physiology,  and  Inventor  of  the  "Reveil  Nocturne.' 


NEW    YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  WALLIS  &  ASHTON,  243  GRAND  STREET. 

1861. 


INDEX    TO    CONTENTS. 


Abortions  and  Miscarriages 61 

Abortions,  how  produced 62-63 

Aphrodisiacs 63 

Child-getting,  how  to  avoid 38 

Clitoris,  the 19 

Conception,  modes  of  preventing. 38 

Conception,  signs  of 55 

Conception,  how  to  avoid 25 

Coverings  for  the  Penis 41 

Drugs  to  destroy  the  Semen..  12-40 

Ergot  of  Rye 62-64 

Fallopian  Tubes 15 

Female  Generative  Organs.  ..13-14 

Female  Private  Parts 18 

Foetus,  development  of  the 31 

Foetus,  size  and  position  of 33 

Hymen,  the 17 

Impregnation 24 

Impregnation,  manner  of 26 

Intellect,  how  formed 48 

Labor  and  Child-birth 55  to  60 

Longevity,  causes  of 53 

Love  Powders 63 

Male  Generative  Organs 5 

Management  at  difficult  Births.  ..60 

Marriage,  natural  laws  of 50 

Miscarriages 61 

Nymphomania 27 

Orgasms  of  a  Female 35 

Ovaries  of  a  Female 13 


Ova,  expulsion  of  the 14 

Ovum,  or  Egg 13 

Penis,  the 7 

Penis,  malformations  of  the 8 

Pregnancy,  how  to  detect 54 

Semen,  the 10 

Semen,  animalcules  of  the 11 

Sexual  Abuses 44 

Sexual  Desires 20 

Sexual  Enjoyment  of  Females. .  .34 

Sexual  Feeling  in  Females 35 

Sexual  Indulgence 33*. 

Sexual  Indulgence,  time  for 36 

Sexual  Intercourse,  too  early 42 

Sexual  Intercourse,  too  frequent  22 
Sexual  Intercourse,  enjoyment  of  36 
Sexual  Intercourse,  position  at.  -  -46 
Sexual  Organs,  Food  to  stimulate  37 

Sexual  Union 21-22 

Sex  of  a  Child,  how  determined.  .28 

Testes,  the 6 

Temperaments,  laws  of  the 50 

Unborn  Child,  growth  of  the 32 

Unborn  Child,  intellect  of 48 

Uterus,  or  Womb 16 

Vagina,  the 16 

Vital  Force,  influence  of 52 

Wife,  choice  of  a 48 

Why  Children  look  like  Parents  30 
Zoospermes 10 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS  in  the  year  1859 
by  Benjamin  H.  Day,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  United  States 
District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


Within  the  past  few  years,  numerous  physiological 
books  have  been  compiled  and  printed,  ostensibly  for  popu- 
lar reading  and  to  impart  certain  information  which  could 
not  be  obtained  except  from  very  expensive  medical  works. 
On  examination,  nearly  the  whole  of  them  prove  to  be  the 
productions  of  persons  calling  themselves  physicians,  and 
issued  as  a  medium  of  advertising  their  medicines,  or  their 
peculiar  practice.  In  most  of  these  books,  facts  in  physiology 
are  so  mixed  up  with  empirical  self-laudations,  absurd  rea- 
sonings, useless  repetitions,  and  fabulous  cases  in  point,  as 
to  become  not  only  intensely  tedious,  but  in  a  measure  dis- 
gusting to  the  reader. 

The  Prevention  of  Conception  appears  to  be  one  of  the 
main  features  of  these  publications,  and  each  author  pro- 
fesses to  have  a  secret  plan  of  his  own  for  that  purpose, 
which  he  offers  to  impart  for  a  professional  fee  of  five  dol- 
lars. An  offer  like  this  to  intelligent  people  is  understood 
as  arrant  quackery ;  but  there  are  such  a  vast  number  of 
married  persons  who  desire  to  limit  the  number  of  their 
offspring,  that  many  will  send  their  money  in  sheer  despe- 
ration, and  with  little  or  no  hope  of  success. 

As  the  writer  of  this  treatise  does  not  propose  to* offer 
his  professional  services  to  his  readers,  and  as  even  the 
copy-right  of  it  is  disposed  of  in  advance,  he  will  endeavor 
to  present,  briefly  and  impartially,  the  prominent  facts 
which  modern  science  has  demonstrated  in  the  phenomena 
of  procreation,  the  conception  and  production  of  offspring, 
and  the  various  safe  and  harmless  methods  that  may  be 
resorted  to  by  married  people  to  prevent  child-bearing. 
All  that  is  known  on  these  interesting  and  important  sub- 


IV  PREFACE. 

jects  is  given  in  plain  language,  and  with  but  few  medical 
terms.  In  collecting  this  information,  the  writer  has  ex- 
amined all  the  different  modes  ever  recommended,  discov- 
ered or  invented,  for  the  prevention  of  conception,  whether 
alleged  to  be  secret  or  otherwise.  Some  of  them  were 
found  to  be  utterly  worthless ;  others  may,  in  most  cases, 
be  employed  successfully  by  extreme  caution  and  pains- 
taking, while  not  more  than  two  or  three  are  perfectly  reli- 
able. These  last  are  subject  to  failure,  only  from  prejudice 
or  want  of  energy ;  and  if  adopted  with  moderate  caution, 
will  be  successful.  In  these  discoveries  the  French  phy- 
sicians appear  to  be  the  most  ingenious,  and  some  of  the 
plans  given  are  consequently  of  French  origin. 

The  Physiology  of  Generation,  which  comprises  ail  medi- 
cal knowledge  relative  to  the  reproduction  of  offspring,  is> 
a  subject  of  intense  interest  to  the  adult  portion  of  man^ 
kind.  It  has  been  zealously  investigated  by  learned  men 
of  all  ages — physicians,  philosophers  and  theologians — 
and  numerous  conflicting  theories  have  been  advanced, 
books  written,  and  ideas  inculcated,  which  have  presented 
the  subject  in  various  phases  for  popular  reading.  One 
class  denounces  all  attempts  to  prevent  conception  and 
child-bearing  as  immoral,  unnatural,  and  hurtful  to  health, 
while  others  hold  more  liberal  views,  and  consider  that 
married  people  have  a  perfect  right  to  decide  for  them- 
selves whether  they  shall  breed  a  family  or  not.  The 
writer  takes  no  part  in  these  arguments.  He  is  content  to 
impart  to  his  readers,  in  a  brief  and  matter-of-fact  form, 
reliable  physiological  information  which  could  only  be  ob- 
tained by  long  study  from  other  sources.  With  this  ex- 
planation, he  trusts  that  the  object  of  his  little  treatise 
will  be  appreciated  by  the  public. 


THE  BOOK  OF  NATURE. 


MAKE   GENERATIVE   ORGANS. 

The  Generative  Organs  of  man  consists  of  two  distinct 
outward  members,  called  the  Penis  and  the  Testes,  or 
Testicles — both  together  being  frequently  called  the  Geni- 
tals. The  Testes  are  inclosed  in  a  sac  or  bag  hanging  from 
the  pubic  bone  called  the  Scrotum,  and  their  functions  are 
to  produce  the  male  principle  or  Semen,  as  the  Ovaries  in 
the  female  ripen  the  Ovum  or  Egg.  The  Testes  are  a 
curious  work  of  Nature.  On  dissection  they  are  found  to 
be  composed  of  fine  blood  vessels  intermingled  with  small 
tubes  called  the  Seminal  Tubes,  in  which  the  Semen  is 
generated.  Some  very  knowing  physicians  say  that  there 
are  sixty  thousand  of  these  Seminal  Tubes ;  but  we  doubt 
if  anybody  ever  counted  them.  These  tubes,  as  they  leave 
the  Testes,  gradually  join  together  until  finally  a  single 
tube  only  goes  from  each  Testicle.  These  are  called  the 
Vas  Deferens,  and  they  ascend  to  the  abdomen  through  a 
larger  tube,  (which  also  contains  arteries,  nerves,  lympha- 
tics, &c.,)  where  they  connect  with  two  small  organs  called 
Seminal  Vesicles.  From  these  vesicles  the  Semen  passes 
downwards  through  a  tube  called  the  Ejaculatory  Canal, 
which  is  connected  with  the  Prostate  Gland,  and  from 
whence  it  is  forced  to  the  Urethra  or  urinal  passage,  and 
so  out  of  the  body.  This  is  a  brief  outline  of  all  the  or- 
gans connected  with  the  generative  system  of  man :  the 
Testes  have  the  peculiar  property  of  making  the  Semen — 
the  Vas  Deferens  and  the  Ejaculatory  Canal  carry  it  into 
the  abdomen  to  the  Prostate  Gland,  from  whence  it  is  con- 
veyed, by  a  peculiar  but  spasmodic  effort,  through  the  uri- 
nal passage  in  the  Penis  into  the  body  of  the  female.  It 
is  supposed  that  the  Seminal  Vesicles  and  Prostate  Gland 
impart  a  vital  principle  to  the  Semen,  and  that  the  peculiar 


6  MALE   GENERATIVE  ORGANS. 

pleasurable  feeling  experienced  during  connection  with  the 
female  springs  from  these  organs. 

The  Scrotum,  in  a  healthy  state,  is  contracted  so  as  to 
draw  its  skin  into  folds  and  keep  the  Testes  close  to  the 
body.  But  when  a  person  is  in  ill  health,  or  greatly  fa- 
tigued, the  skin  relaxes  and  the  two  Testes  hang  low,  the 
Scrotum  being  then  supported  in  the  middle  by  a  mem- 
brane or  cord  called  the  Septum  Scroti,  which  acts  as  a 
sort  of  partition.  The  Scrotum  of  old  men  is  permanently 
relaxed  in  this  manner ;  but  in  children  it  is  a  sure  indica- 
tion of  ill  health. 

The  size  of  the  Testes  vary  in  different  persons.  The 
average  of  mankind  have  them  each  about  the  bigness  of 
a  pigeon's  egg ;  but  sometimes  they  are  larger.  It  seldom 
makes  any  difference  in  the  actual  power  of  procreation 
whether  these  organs  are  large  or  small,  though  persons 
with  large  Testes  can  generally  perform  the  act  of  copula- 
tion oftener,  and  with  less  exhaustion.  A  man  with  large 
Testes  generally  has  a  large  Penis,  as  the  size  of  the  one 
usually  governs  the  growth  of  the  other ;  but  it  is  by  no 
means  certain  that  sexual  connection  thereby  affords  him 
any  more  pleasure.  Such  men  should  marry  with  great 
caution.  Many  females  are  incapable  of  affording  them 
pleasure  from  the  comparative  smallness  of  their  private 
parts ;  and  they  suffer  much  pain  and  ill  health  from  such 
intercourse.  On  the  contrary,  men  whose  genital  organs 
are  not  fully  developed,  though  they  may  impregnate,  yet 
they  cannot  always  give  full  satisfaction  to  the  female.  If 
it  could  so  be  that  people  about  to  marry  were  properly 
matched  in  their  private  parts,  it  would  prevent  a  great 
deal  of  unhappiness  in  the  world. 

Some  curious  cases  are  reported  in  the  books  of  ill- 
matched  couples  in  this  respect.  One  of  the  Princes  of 
the  Royal  Family  of  England  (a  son  of  George  III.)  died 
without  legitimate  issue  because  he  could  not  have  con- 
nection with  his  wife — she  being  too  small,  or  he  being  too 


Explanation   of  the  Engraving. 


.   Vas  Deferens,  or  Tube    which  conveys 


s    The  Scrotum. 
9.  The  Penis. 
ID.  The  Glaus,  or  head  of  the  Penis. 

1 1.  Yas  Deferens — detached  views. 

12.  Right  Seminal  Veaicli — interior  cell-. 
I(;         V.I.   Left  Seminal  Yesich — detached  nuNi. 


*y         3  Vesicles  and  Va8  Deferens  being  h 

i       ^^  side  of  it. 


MALE  PRIVATE  PARTS EXTERNAL  AND  INTERNAL. 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  PENIS.  7 

large  for  the  purpose.  It  is  true,  he  was  entitled  to  a  di- 
vorce by  law,  but  it  was  said  he  respected  his  wife  too 
much  to  resort  to  such  a  measure.  Another  curious  case 
was  that  of  Baron  Brunner,  whose  wife  claimed  a  divorce 
on  the  ground  that  her  husband  was  a  sort  of  eunuch,  who 
could  afford  her  no  pleasure  during  connection.  But  in 
this  case,  as  Madame  was  the  mother  of  a  daughter,  to 
whom  she  dared  not  deny  the  paternity  of  the  Baron,  her 
petition  was  rejected. 

The  Penis  is  the  principal  generative  organ  of  man.  It 
is  usually  from  live  to  seven  inches  in  length,  hanging  pen- 
dant, and  extending  from  the  Pelvic  Bones  to  the  glans  at 
the  end,  and  is  divided  into  two  parts  called  the  Caverno- 
sum  and  the  Spongiosum.  There  is  a  groove  underneath 
and  between  these  two  parts,  through  which  runs  the 
Urethra,  or  urinal  passage.  The  head  of  the  Penis  is  called 
the  Bulb,  and  is  of  a  spongy  nature,  being  filled  with  little 
cells  or  cavities  communicating  with  each  other,  and  which 
extend  into  blood  vessels  which  run  the  whole  length  of 
the  organ,  and  are  finally  connected  with  an  artery  and  a 
vein  in  the  body.  When  no  excitement  of  the  part  exists, 
these  cells  and  blood  vessels  are  nearly  empty ;  but  when 
excited  by  sexual  desires,  they  rapidly  fill  with  blood,  when 
the  Penis  stands  erect  and  enlarges  to  one-third  greater 
size.  The  erection  is  also  assisted  by  a  number  of  muscles 
which  only  act  when  the  blood  rushes  into  the  part.  These 
are  called  the  Cavernosus  Muscles.  In  some  persons  the 
erection  is  very  sudden,  while  in  others  it  is  the  reverse — 
all  depending  upon  the  temperament  and  construction  of 
the  parts.  The  time  for  the  erection  to  subside  is  also  dif- 
ferent in  different  persons.  The  causes  of  this  difference 
depend  upon  certain  vital  actions  of  the  blood  vessels  not 
fully  understood.  In  old  age  this  organ  will  often  become 
hard  and  erect,  though  it  requires  more  time,  and  the  erec- 
tion subsides  almost  instantly  after  connection  with  a  fe- 
male.    The  Penis  is  often  destroyed  by  accident  or  by  dis- 


8  MALE   GENERATIVE   ORGANS. 

ease,  and  sometimes  it  is  naturally  deformed.  A  case  is 
stated  by  Dr.  Rollick  of  a  young  man  19  years  old,  whose 
Penis  was  only  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long  !  By  a  protracted 
and  careful  course  of  treatment,  however,  it  was  made  to 
grow  several  inches.  Some  male  children  have  been  born 
with  no  Penis  at  all — a  slight  swelling,  like  the  top  of  a 
small  tumor,  being  the  only  mark  of  the  spot  where  it 
ought  to  have  grown.  In  some  cases  of  deformity  like 
this,  men  have  been  known  to  beget  children,  the  flow  of 
Semen  being  ample ;  and  it  only  requiring,  for  the  purpose 
of  impregnation,  that  the  Semen  shall  be  placed  within 
the  external  lips  of  the  private  parts  of  the  female,  as  will 
be  shown  hereafter. 

There  are  frequent  malformations  of  the  Penis.  Some- 
times it  will  grow  in  such  a  way  that,  when  erect,  it  turns 
one  side  or  the  other,  so  that  association  is  painful  and 
very  difficult.  This  is  generally  caused  by  contraction  of 
the  skin  or  muscles,  and  is  very  easily  remedied  by  care- 
fully cutting  them  in  the  proper  place.  Sometimes  a  one- 
sided Penis  is  the  result  of  aneurism,  swelling  of  the  veins, 
or  unnatural  erections.  These  causes  generally  form  tu- 
mors, which  must  first  be  reduced  before  a  proper  action 
can  be  restored.  Cold  astringent  lotions,  used  constantly, 
will  generally  cure  these  tumors,  though  it  is  sometimes 
necessary  to  bind  some  smooth,  hard  substance  firmly  on 
to  them — a  piece  of  horn  or  ivory  being  the  most  suitable. 
Frequently  the  cord  at  the  end  of  the  Penis,  which  binds 
the  prepuce,  will  be  so  short  as  to  pull  down  the  end  of 
the  Glans  and  thus  prevent  a  proper  connection  with  the 
female.  This  cord,  when  too  short,  will  often  break ;  but 
the  best  way  is  to  cut  it  carefully  either  with  a  sharp  knife 
or  a  pair  of  scissors.  A  Penis  with  a  head  too  large  is  a 
malformation  caused  by  boyish  pranks  in  handling  the 
organ  during  its  growth. 

The  causes  of  a  non-development  of  the  Penis  are  va- 
rious.    Sometimes  a  general  torpor  of  the  Testes  retards 


NON-DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE    PENIS.  9 

its  growth.  Disease  or  excess  will  frequently  make  it 
wither  and  decrease  in  size ;  and  many  a  youth  by  early 
masturbation  prevents  the  full  development  of  the  organ. 
Injuries  to  the  Testes,  during  early  childhood,  will  often 
stop  the  growth  of  the  Penis.  The  Mumps,  Scarlet  Fever, 
Measles,  Rickets,  and  Scrofula — each  of  these  diseases  will 
also  more  or  less  affect  its  perfect  development.  It  is 
nearly  impossible  to  prescribe  a  remedy  for  this  evil,  as 
much  depends  upon  the  temperament  of  the  person  affect- 
ed. In  persons  of  little  sexual  feeling,  I  would  recom- 
mend a' rational  and  moderate  use  of  the  organ  as  Nature 
intended.  The  healthy  excitement  thus  produced  will  tend 
to  its  growth.  In  some  men,  however,  this  plan  would 
rather  do  harm  than  good — a  frequent  tepid  bath,  with 
brisk  rubbing  of  the  muscles,  being  the  proper  treatment. 
A  stimulating  ointment  of  some  kind  might  be  used  to  ad- 
vantage with  this  latter  treatment.  A  tube  to  fit  over  the 
Penis,  with  an  air-pump,  is  frequently  used  by  physicians 
in  connection  with  a  shampooing  of  the  muscles,  and  in 
some  cases  this  acts  beautifully. 

The  lascivious  practices  of  boys,  who  learn  of  one  ano- 
ther the  habit  of  onanism — their  too  early  connection  with 
females — these  and  other  habits  affect  the  growth  and  full 
development  of  the  Penis. 

The  Penis  should  be  fully  developed  in  a  boy  fourteen 
or  fifteen  years  old.  At  that  age  the  seminal  fluid,  des- 
tined for  the  perpetuation  of  the  species,  begins  to  be 
secreted  by  the  Testicles,  and  not  only  excites  the  sexual 
organs,  but  affects  every  part  of  the  body.  The  power  of 
the  mind,  too,  is  improved ;  the  digestion  becomes  more 
vigorous ;  the  circulation  of  the  blood  is  more  rapid ;  in- 
deed, every  organ  is  abundantly  nourished  by  it,  and  they 
perform  their  functions  with  much  more  energy  than  be- 
fore this  period  of  life.  But  the  sexual  organs,  notwith- 
standing they  may  be  of  full  size,  have  not  yet  matured,  as 
will  be  shown  hereafter. 


10  ANIMALCULE  OF  THE  SEMEN. 

THE  SEMEN. 

The  Semen  is  a  yellowish- white  liquid  substance  secreted 
in  the  Testes  of  the  Male,  and  which  contains  the  animal- 
cule that  grow  to  be  future  human  beings.  A  microscopic 
examination  shows  it  to  consist  of  two  substances,  one 
fluid  and  the  other  little  white  globules.  These  globules 
soon  dissolve  when  exposed  to  the  air.  The  composition 
of  the  Semen  is  nine-tenths  water — the  remaining  tenth 
being  10  soda,  30  phosphate  of  lime,  and  60  animal  muci- 
lage containing  a  peculiar  principle  which  is  unknown. 
The  living  aninialculse  of  the  Semen  can  be  plainly  seen 
with  a  microscope.  They  look  like  little  eels  with  large 
heads,  or  pollywogs,  and  are  supposed  to  be  the  germ  of 
the  brain  and  spine.  They  are  called  Zoospermes,  and  the 
microscope  enables  us  to  study  their  habits,  and  describe 
them  with  correctness.  These  animalculse  first  grow  in  the 
little  globules  or  eggs.  Their  extreme  smallness  may  be 
imagined  when  we  state  that  one  of  these  globules,  which 
are  not  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  but  can  be  seen  only  with 
a  microscope,  contains  thirty  of  them.  After  the  globules 
break  open,  the  Zoospermes  grow  and  become  developed 
before  they  are  in  a  fit  state  to  enter  the  female  Ovum. 
Attached  to  their  head  is  a  sort  of  sucker  which  fastens 
itself  on  to  anything  it  can  take  hold  of.  By  the  aid  of 
the  microscope  we  are  enabled  to  study  the  habits  of  these 
animalculse  so  closely  that  it  is  known  they  cast  their  skins 
as  they  grow  larger,  like  some  insects.  A  French  physi- 
ologist writes  that  he  easily  distinguishes  their  sex,  male 
and  female,  but  we  doubt  the  truth  of  his  assertion.  They 
are  apparently  very  playful  and  active,  but  it  appears  to  be 
their  nature  to  move  only  in  one  direction,  and  that  straight 
forward — which  movement  has  a  connection  with  impreg- 
nation that  is  explained  elsewhere  in  these  pages.  In 
watching  the  motions  of  these  curious  little  creatures,  we 
find  that  combats  frequently  occur  among  them.    They 


4-   \    ^151   -" 


^ 


1.  Zoosperme  magnified.        2.  Highly  magnified. 

3.  Undeveloped  Zoospermes  in  the  Semen. 

4.  Female  Ovum  burst  open  for  impregnation. 

5.  Zoospermes  darting  in  to  impregnate  the  Ovum. 


ZOOSPERMES.  1 1 

fight  very  fiercely,  and  sometimes  the  fight  lasts  until  only 
one  or  two  out  of  a  dozen  or  more  are  left  alive,  showing 
a  pugnacity  of  disposition  peculiar  to  mankind  in  the  pri- 
mitive or  half-civilized  state.  They  will  live  for  several 
hours  in  warm  water,  and  it  is  thus  that  their  manoeuvres 
are  more  easily  seen.  The  Semen  of  a  boy,  before  puberty, 
contains  no  Zoospermes ;  and  hence  females  of  amorous 
propensities  have  indulged  with  them  without  becoming 
impregnated.  Diseases  of  a  certain  character,  and  also 
some  kinds  of  drugs,  will  destroy  the  vitality  of  the  Semen. 

The  animalculae  of  the  Semen  are  not  developed  in  the 
Testes.  While  there,  it  contains  only  the  granules,  which 
ripen  as  they  proceed,  and  it  is  not  until  they  reach  the 
Prostate  Gland  that  they  burst  open.  It  is  therefore  neces- 
sary to  a  healthy  connection,  that  some  time  should  elapse 
between  the  acts  of  coition.  It  frequently  happens,  when 
people  first  marry,  that  months  will  pass  before  impregna- 
tion takes  place.  This  is  because  of  too  frequent  connec- 
tion. The  Semen  does  not  have  time  to  be  fully  developed 
on  its  passage  from  the  Testes. 

We  have  stated  that  it  is  a  habit  of  the  Zoospermes  to 
move  only  in  one  direction,  and  that  straight  forward.  It 
is  this  peculiarity  which  enables  them  to  make  their  way 
up  into  the  Womb,  even  from  the  Labia  or  external  lips 
of  the  female.  It  is  found,  also,  that  Zoospermes  will  live 
twenty-four  hours  in  the  private  parts  of  the  female,  during 
which  time  she  may  become  impregnated  by  them.  It 
seems  to  be  of  little  consequence  Iwm  Semen  is  deposited 
in  the  female  organ.  Conception  may  take  place,  even 
without  sexual  connection,  if  the  Semen  is  fresh  from  the 
male,  and  healthy.  The  sexual  feeling  of  the  female,  though 
it  may  conduce  certain  favorable  conditions  of  the  part,  and 
thus  promote  the  result,  is  not,  in  most  cases,  necessary. 

The  celebrated  John  Hunter  reported  the  case  of  a  pa- 
tient of  his  who  had  entirely  lost  his  penis  by  syphilis.  It 
was  sloughed  off  half  an  inch  into  his  body.     Yet  this  man 


12  DRUGS  THAT  WILL  DESTROY  THE   SEMEN. 

could  eject  his  semen  from  the  orifice;  and  he  married  af- 
ter his  misfortune,  and  became  the  father  of  a  child.  His 
wife  was  impregnated  by  means  of  a  small  glass  syringe, 
with  which  the  semen  was  injected  into  the  proper  place. 

The  Parisian  doctors  make  preparations  of  various  drugs 
to  destroy  the  animalculaB  of  the  Semen,  and  thus  prevent 
conception.  This  plan,  if  thoroughly  adopted,  produces 
the  desired  effect,  as  will  be  shown  hereafter.  Iodine, 
Strychnine,  Prussic  Acid,  or  even  Opium,  will  instantly 
kill  the  Zoospermes.  Alcohol  will  likewise  generally  de- 
stroy them,  or  render  them  powerless  until  they  die.  An 
electric  shock  kills  them  instantly,  and  so  will  cold  water, 
in  very  many  cases,  though  not  always. 

Modern  science  enables  us  to  speak  with  certainty  rela- 
tive to  a  cause  of  childless  couples,  which  is  a  want  of  vi- 
tality of  the  Semen.  Formerly  it  was  supposed  that  bar- 
renness was  a  peculiarity  of  women  alone ;  but  it  is  now 
known  that  the  fault  is  more  frequently  in  the  husband. 
The  Semen  of  these  barren  men  contains  the  usual  glo- 
bules, which  never  ripen  or  come  to  maturity.  Such  men 
may  experience  a  certain  degree  of  pleasure  in  connection, 
but  they  cannot  become  fathers.  The  Semen  is  undevel- 
oped, like  that  of  a  boy  of  ten  years.  The  sexual  desires 
of  such  men  are  never  very  strong,  and  quickly  subside ; 
nor  can  they  excite  the  female  to  any  great  degree  of  ardor. 
Long  continued  excesses  in  venery,  whether  with  women 
or  by  means  of  onanism,  is  a  frequent  cause  of  barrenness 
or  impotence  in  men.  In  these  cases  the  Semen  loses  its 
prolific  power.  Frequently  this  impotence  cannot  be  rem- 
edied, though  I  have  cured  many  persons  of  it  who  had 
daily  involuntary  emissions  of  the  spermatic  fluid  without 
erections  or  amorous  impulse.  The  treatment  consists  in 
avoiding  its  causes,  restoring  the  general  health  by  proper 
diet  an,d  exercise,  and  in  invigorating  the  affected  organs 
by  the  internal  and  external  use  of  such  remedies  as  have 
a  direct  influence  upon  them. 


FEMALE  GENERATIVE  ORGANS.  13 

THE  OVARIES. 

The  Ovaries,  or  egg-vessels  of  a  human  female,  are  two 
bodies  situated  on  each  side  of  the  Pelvis  just  within  the 
lower  edge  of  the  hip  bone.  They  vary  in  size,  averaging 
about  the  same  as  the  male  testicle,  but  of  a  different  shape, 
being  flat  and  oblong,  like  an  almond.  When  in  a  healthy 
state,  they  are  of  pale  red  color,  and  have  a  rough  exte- 
rior. Every  Ovary  consists  of  a  large  number  of  cells 
about  the  size  of  a  buck-shot,  called  the  Graafian  Vesicles, 
and  which  contain  a  transparent  fluid.  On  looking  at  this 
fluid  with  a  glass,  the  Ovum,  or  germ  of  the  human  being, 
can  be  plainly  seen  in  each  cell.  It  is  very  small — not 
much  larger  than  a  grain  of  sand.  A  healthy  and  perfectly 
formed  female  has  some  thirty  or  more  of  these  vesicles. 
It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  exact  number,  because  all  of 
them  are  not  fully  developed  at  the  same  time.  In  fact, 
they  ripen  and  become  perfect  in  succession,  from  month  to 
month,  and  one  is  expelled  at  each  menstrual  flow,  as  de- 
scribed below,  beginning  at  the  age  of  puberty,  and  so  con- 
tinuing until  the  turn  of  life,  when  all  have  been  expelled 
and  the  Ovaries  then  become  barren.  The  Ovum  generally 
comes  from  each  side  alternately — the  right  ovary  expelling 
its  egg  one  month,  and  the  left  the  next,  and  so  on.  But 
where  disease  or  any  cause  has  disabled  one  Ovary,  the 
other  one,  if  healthy,  expels  its  egg  monthly.  Such  are 
the  curious  workings  of  Nature. 

When  an  Ovum,  or  egg^  is  fully  developed,  it  leaves  the 
Ovary,  and  passing  through  a  very  curious  hollow  ligature 
called  the  Fallopian  Tube,  is  thus  conveyed  into  the  Womb. 
This  occurs  once  in  four  weeks  in  a  healthy  female.  In 
order  to  detach  this  ripe  egg  from  the  Ovary,  real  inflam- 
mation is  experienced,  which  causes  a  discharge  of  blood 
and  mucus,  called  the  menstrual  or  monthly  flow.  This 
constant  action  of  the  Ovaries  has  a  most  extraordinary 
influence  upon  the  whole  being  of  woman.     It  not  only 


14  FEMALE  GENERATIVE  ORGANS. 

absorbs  a  large  portion  of  her  nervous  power,  but  it  actu- 
ally affects  her  mind  to  a  considerable  extent.  It  is  the 
principal  cause  of  hysteria,  fickleness,  gayety,  peevishness, 
and  other  eccentricities  peculiar  to  female  character. 

The  Ovum  usually  reaches  the  Womb  from  one  to  two 
cays  after  the  monthly  flow  ceases.  After  being  retained 
a  certain  time  by  a  thin  membrane  called  the  Decidua,  the 
membrane  loosens  and  passes  out  of  the  body,  taking  the 
Ovum  along  with  it.  While  it  remains  in  the  Womb,  it  is 
of  course  liable  to  be  impregnated  by  the  semen  from  the 
male ;  but  the  moment  it  is  expelled,  no  impregnation  can 
take  place  until  another  monthly  flow.  Many  French  fe- 
males, who  have  studied  this  subject  closely  and  attentively, 
are  enabled  to  tell  with  certainty  when  the  Ovum  leaves 
them,  and  they  avoid  contact  with  the  other  sex  except 
during  the  interval  between  its  expulsion  and  their  next 
monthly  turn.     In  this  way  they  avoid  child-bearing. 

The  usual  healthy  time  during  which  the  Ovum  remains 
in  the  Womb,  is  fourteen  days.  In  some  females  it  remains 
as  long  as  sixteen  or  seventeen  days.  Cases  of  supposed 
barrenness  are  frequently  those  where  the  ova  are  expelled 
from  the  womb  very  soon  after  lodging  there.  It  is  then 
necessary  for  the  husband,  if  he  desires  children,  to  cohabit 
with  his  wife  immediately  after  the  menstrual  flow  ceases. 
On  the  contrary,  those  who  would  avoid  having  offspring, 
(unless  they  use  the  means  pointed  out  in  another  part  of 
this  book,)  should  refrain  from  sexual  indulgence  until  the 
Ovum  has  been  expelled,  which  is  generally  the  third  week 
after  the  menstrual  flow  has  ceased 

By  a  curious  provision  of  Nature,  the  blood  and  vital 
energy  required  to  ripen  and  expel  the  monthly  Ovum  in 
a  female,  is  turned  in  another  channel  during  pregnancy, 
and  tends  to  secrete  the  milk  and  the  fluids  on  which  the 
growing  foetus  subsists.  Thus  the  ova  lie  dormant  during 
that  period,  and  they  seldom  begin  to  ripen  again  until  the 
new-born  infant  is  weaned 


Explanation   of  the  Engraving. 


1.  The  Clitoris. 

2.  The    Outer  and   the  Inner   Lips  of  the 
Private  Parts. 

3.  Meatus  Urinarhis,    and   Mouth    of    the 
Bladder. 

4.  The    Vagina,    or   Passage    towards   the 
Womb. 

5.  Mouth  of  the  Womb. 
,        6.  Thick  Walls  of  the  Womb. 
I       7.  The  Rectum. 

I      8.  The  Bladder. 

I      9.  Pubic  Bone. 

10.  Right  Ovary  and  Fallopian  Tube. 


FEMALE  ORGANS  CUT  IX  HALF SECTION  OF  INTERNALS. 


Explanation   of  the  Engraving 

1.  The  Clitoris. 

2.  Right  Outer  Lip 

3.  Right  Inner  Lip. 

4.  Entrance    to   the  Vagina,   or   Pasnage 
towards  the  Womb. 

5.  Urinary  Passage,  or  Mouth  of  Bladder.    - 

6.  Intestine  of  the  Rectum. 

7.  Covering,  or  Wall  of  the  Vagina. 

8.  The  Bladder. 

9.  Covering  of  the  Womb 

10.  The  Ovaries,  showing  their  connection 
with  the  Womb  by  the  Fallopian  Tubes. 

LI.   The  Abdoiueu 


FEMALE  ORGANS  OF  JJEPRODITTION  AS  THEY  LIE  IN  THE  BODY 


THE  FALLOPIAN   TUBES.  15 

it  will  be  understood,  from  the  foregoing  facts,  that  no 
female  can  produce  more  than  a  certain  number  of  ova. 
When  all  are  exhausted,  the  turn  of  life  takes  place.  It  is, 
therefore,  desirable  that  girls  should  not  become  sexually 
excited  before  the  full  age  of  puberty,  as  such  excitement 
is  sure  to  hasten  that  period.  The  sooner  they  begin  to 
menstruate,  the  sooner  they  become  old  women.  In  the 
same  way  maiden  ladies  usually  reach  the  turn  of  life 
sooner  than  child-bearing  women. 

In  some  women,  the  Ovaries  being  originally  weak,  or 
diseased,  they  are  irregular  in  their  menstrual  periods,  or 
have  frequent  flooding  from  the  debilitated  state  of  the 
organs.  Deformity  of  children  is  supposed  to  arise  from 
imperfect  ova,  and  want  of  sufficient  vital  force  to  fully  de- 
velop them.  The  ripening  of  the  Ovum,  or  egg^  is  in  many 
respects  like  unto  the  ripening  of  an  apple  on  the  tree. 
Some  are  perfect  and  beautiful,  while  others  are  deformed 
and  ungainly  in  appearance. 

The  two  Fallopian  Tubes,  which  connect  the  ovaries 
with  the  Womb,  are  very  curious.  They  are  hollow  liga- 
ments, a  little  larger  at  one  end  than  the  other.  On  dis- 
section they  are  found  to  be  lined  with  fine  thread-like 
points,  which  point  towards  the  smallest  end  of  the  tube, 
adjoining  the  Womb.  These  points  are  in  perpetual  mo- 
tion, like  small  worms,  and  this  operation  is  what  causes 
the  egg  to  pass  through  the  tube.  For  the  same  reason 
nothing  can  go  back  in  these  tubes  from  the  Womb  to  the 
Ovaries.  These  tubes  also  afford  a  passage  for  the  secre- 
tions and  fluids,  which  would  otherwise  accumulate  in  tho 
Ovaries  of  women  in  ill  health.  A  considerable  portion 
of  the  discharges  from  the  Vagina,  to  which  some  females 
are  subject,  come  from  the  Ovaries  through  the  Fallopian 
Tubes  into  the  Womb,  and  thence  to  the  lower  passage. 
Sexual  or  amative  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  female  affects 
these  tubes,  by  causing  them  to  straighten  and  relax,  thus 
working  the  points  on  the  inner  surface,  and  hastening  the 


16  FEMALE  GENERATIVE  ORGANS. 

passage  of  the  Ovum,  should  one  be  in  the  passage.  This 
feeling  also  hastens  the  ripening  of  the  Ovum,  to  a  certain 
extent.  The  usual  length  of  the  Fallopian  Tubes  is  from 
three  to  four  inches.  A  woman  may  be  made  perfectly 
barren  by  tying  ligatures  round  these  two  tubes,  an  opera- 
tion which  would  be  attended  with  but  little  pain.  It  is 
obvious,  however,  that  her  health  might  seriously  suffer  in 
consequence.  In  France,  animals  are  frequently  served  in 
.  this  manner  in  preference  to  the  painful  process  of  spaying. 
The  Uterus,  or  Womb,  is  suspended  mid-way  between 
the  lower  edges  of  the  hip-bones.  Its  upper  part  goes  up 
between  the  bladder  and  the  rectum,  and  lies  upon  the 
bladder.  Its  lower  part  joins  the  passage  called  the  Va- 
gina,  which  is  usually  about  four  or  live  inches  in  length. 
In  fact,  the  neck  of  the  Womb  hangs  down  into  the  Va- 
gina, and  is  the  cause  of  an  indescribable  delightful  feeling 
on  the  part  of  the  female  when  in  connection  with  the 
male.  Many  women  say  that  they  experience  very  little 
sexual  feeling,  and  that  the  act  of  copulation  is  to  them  a 
matter  of  indifference.  C  This  is  because  the  mouth  of  the 
Womb  is  not  reached  or  touched  by  the  glans  of  the  male 
organ ;  and  the  pleasurable  sensation  of  the  female  is  then 
confined  to  a  slight  irritation  of  the  Clitoris  and  Nymphae, 
in  the  private  parts.  \  When  the  amorous  sensations  of  the 
female  are  excited  during  connection,  the  Yvromb  becomes 
engorged  with  blood,  and  moves  up  and  down  in  the  Va- 
gina, bringing  the  neck  in  contact  with  the  glans  of  the 
male  organ,  and  this  contact,  if  not  too  violent,  is  the  per- 
fection of  sexual  indulgence  for  both  parties. 

The  Vagina  is  a  curved  passage  from  the  Womb  to  the 
lower  private  parts  of  the  female  called  the  Vulva.  It  is 
a  tubular  passage,  the  diameter  of  which  varies  from  one 
and  a  half  to  two  inches,  and  is  usually  from  four  to  five 
inches  in  length.  This  curved  tube  possesses  some  curious 
powers,  which  are  in  action  only  during  connection  with 
the  male.    It  is  lined  with  a  mucus  membrane  throughout, 


TEE  HYMEK".  17 

and  underneath  is  thick  cellular  membrane  which  is  spongy 
and  tills  with  blood  during  sexual  excitement,  the  same  as 
the  head  of  the  penis  in  the  male.  This  is  the  erectile  tis- 
sue. On  each  side  are  certain  little  openings  where  are 
secreted  a  thickish  gray  fluid  of  a  peculiar  smell,  which  is 
discharged  copiously  during  connection.  Some  uninformed 
persons  erroneously  think  this  to  be  a  kind  of  Semen ;  but 
it  is  merely  a  fluid  provided  by  Nature  to  assist  in  the  nup- 
tial act.  Some  females  have  the  erectile  tissue  imperfectly 
developed,  and  for  this  reason  are  liable  to  a  lax-vagina^ 
which  leads  to  a  falling  of  the  Womb,  and  other  diseases 
that  render  the  marriage  state  necessary  to  restore  them  to 
health.  Mothers  are  apt  to  attach  too  little  importance  to 
this  disease. 

The  entrance  to  the  Vagina,  a  small  oval  opening,  easily 
seen  by  parting  the  lips  of  the  private  parts,  is  usually 
closed  in  virgins  by  a  thin  membrane,  or  skin,  which  grows- 
over  it.  This  is  called  the  Hymen ;  and  in  ancient  times 
its  presence  was  considered  necessary  at  marriage  to  esta- 
blish the  virginity  of  the  bride.  f  If  in  reality  such  proof 
was  demanded,  we  think  that  very  many  brides  must  have 
been  pronounced  lewd,  for  there  is  scarcely  one  woman  in 
a  hundred  at  the  present  day  who  preserves  her  Hymen 
intact  until  she  is  twenty  years  old  J  In  some,  it  is  broken 
at  the  first  menstrual  flow — in  others,  any  debilitating  dis- 
ease of  the  parts  destroys  it — and  many  girls  who  con- 
stantly bathe  and  wash  their  private  parts,  unconsciously 
wash  away  this  membrane.  These  are  cases  where  it  is 
very  thin ;  but  where  it  has  strength  to  resist  such  acci- 
dents, it  may  even  then  be  quickly  destroyed  by  any  at- 
tempt of  the  female  to  produce  sexual  excitement.  Some 
curious  facts  are  related  in  the  medical  books  of  the  tough- 
ness of  the  Hymen  in  certain  cases.  Dr.  Vv^akley,  of  Lon- 
don, was  applied  to  by  a  woman  who  alleged  that  though 
her  husband  regularly  performed  his  marital  duties,  yet  she 
herself  could  not  enjoy  the  nuptial  act.  On  examination, 
2 


18  BTOVTATiE  GENERATIVE  ORGANS. 

it  was  found  that  the  Hymen  had  not  been  broken,  though 
the  woman  had  been  married  eight  years  The  membrane 
was  a  tough,  calloused  substance,  and  it  was  deemed  neces- 
sary to  cut  it  out  entirety.  This  lady  became  a  mother  in 
less  than  eleven  months  from  the  time  of  the  operation. 
Dr.  Bostwick,  of  New  York,  had  a  case  where  a  thick 
piece  of  flesh  grew  over  the  mouth  of  the  Vagina ;  and 
though  the  woman  had  the  menstrual  flow  regularly 
through  a  small  opening,  yet  her  husband  could  have  no 
sexual  pleasure  with  her.  A  very  painful  and  dangerous 
operation  relieved  this  lady,  and  she  is  now  the  mother  of 
a  family.  As  a  general  rule,  a  girl  loses  her  Hymen  before 
she  is  twenty,  and  it  is  seldom  that  she  knows  when  it  is 
destroyed. 

In  some  women  the  mouth  of  the  Vagina  is  so  small 
that  a  first  connection  is  painful,  tearing  the  part  and 
causing  a  flow  of  blood.  When  such  women  become 
widows,  or  refrain  from  sexual  intercourse  for  a  long  pe- 
riod, the  same  tearing  and  flow  of  blood  may  again  occur 
on  resuming  connection. 

The  external  appearance  of  the  private  parts  of  a  female, 
as  given  in  the  engraving,  we  will  here  particularize.  The 
peculiar  round  and  plump  prominence  at  the  lower  ex- 
tremity of  the  abdomen,  is  a  thick  layer  of  nitty  matter 
over  the  pubic  bone,  called  the  Mons  Veneris.  This  is 
usually  covered  with  hair  at  the  age  of  puberty.  In  some 
cases  the  hair  grows  very  profusely,  and  to  the  length  of 
six  or  eight  inches.  Others  have  but  little  hair,  and  some 
none  at  all.  The  growth  of  hair  is  usually  considered  the 
sign  of  womanhood,  though  it  is  really  no  proof  of  that 
condition.  Many  girls  have  a  growth  of  hair  over  the 
Mons  at  the  age  often  or  eleven  yearsv  while  the  menstrual 
flow  will  not  commence  until  some  years  after.  The  two 
outer  lips  of  the  part  are  also  covered  with  hair.  These 
are  called  Labia,  and  inside  they  have  little  glans  or  folli- 
cles which  discharge  a  mucus  of  a  peculiar  smell,  which  is 


THE   CLITORIS.  19 

provided  by  Nature  to  keep  the  parts  in  health.  Within 
these  external  lips  or  Labia,  are  smaller  ones  called  the 
Nymphse.  In  infants  the  ISTymphoe  can  be  plainly  seen 
outside,  as  the  Labia  do  not  cover  them ;  but  as  the  child 
grows,  the  external  lips  gradually  close,  and  in  a  perfectly- 
formed  female,  at  the  age  of  puberty,  nothing  can  be  seen 
but  the  outer  lips,  which  are,  or  should  be,  hidden  by  the 
hair. 

At  the  upper  junction  of  the  Nymphse  is  the  Clitoris,  a 
very  curious  formation  which  resembles  a  miniature  male 
penis.  This  is  an  organ  which,  when  irritated,  causes  sex- 
ual desires.  It  is  usually  about  the  size  of  a  pea,  though 
in  some  cases  it  is  larger.  The  growth  of  the  Clitoris  to 
an  unnatural  size  is  what  has  given  rise  to  a  belief  in  the 
existence  of  hermaphrodites,  or  persons  of  double  sex.  I 
can  easily  understand  how  these  reports  originated.  A  fe- 
male infant  with  a  Clitoris  of  a  very  large  size  would  natu- 
rally induce  such  a  belief  by  persons  ignorant  of  physi- 
ology— for  the  Clitoris  is  always  proportionably  a  great 
deal  larger  before  puberty — and  particularly  so  when  the 
child  is  first  born.  In  an  unnatural  growth,  then,  of  this 
member,  the  private  parts  of  an  infant  would  certainly 
present  a  hermaphroditic  appearance.  It  is  almost  unne- 
cessary to  say  that  no  such  human  beings  ever  existed  as 
hermaphrodites.  Those  that  have  been  so  called  were  fe- 
males with  an  enlarged  Clitoris.  This  enlargement  being 
a  source  of  some  mortification  to  the  girl  as  she  grows  to 
womanhood,  it  should  be  partially  amputated,  an  operation 
which  can  be  performed  with  perfect  safety.  Young  girls 
of  amorous  desires  get  up  a  sexual  excitement,  and  pro- 
duce masturbation,  by  rubbing  the  Clitoris ;  and  in  board- 
ing schools  they  often  practice  the  habit  upon  one  anothei 
until  they  cause  repeated  Orgasms,  and  in  this  manner  in- 
injure  their  health.  Many  of  the  diseases  of  after  life  may 
be  traced  to  such  unnatural  pranks — particularly  the  weak- 
ness which  causes  miscarriage  and  excessive  flooding. 


20  SEXUAL   UNION. 

PHILOSOPHY   OP   SEXUAL   DESIRES. 

The  sexual  organs  of  man  and  woman  are  wonderfully 
adapted  to  each  other,  and  have  a  perfect  power  of  mutual 
attraction.  Nature  sacrifices  every  thing  to  reproduction : 
it  is  thus  that  we  enjoy  all  strength,  vigor  and  beauty,  so 
as  to  excite  us  to  contribute  to  the  procreation  of  our  spe- 
cies ;  and  thus  that  such  exquisite  pleasure  is  associated 
with  the  copulative  act  It  is  for  this  reason  also  that  we 
experience  so  many  sweet  illusions  in  the  brilliant  season 
of  our  amours,  and  that  we  give  way  to  others  when  our 
reproductive  powers  have  failed.  In  a  word,  Nature  always 
regards  the  species,  and  never  the  individual ;  and  whatever 
we  may  say  or  think  of  our  superiority  over  inferior  ani- 
mals, we  cannot  conceal  from  ourselves  the  fact  that,  like 
the  brutes,  we  are  influenced  in  our  unions  by  the  pleasure 
of  sexual  intercourse.  /^~It  is  useless  to  deny  that  the  ma- 
jority of  marriages  which  are  apparently  based  on  the  sen- 
timent called  love,  are  nothing  more  than  the  result  of  an 
involuntary  obedience  to  the  imperious  voice  of  our  sexual 
organs.  ~)  A  man  admires  the  graceful  figure,  the  voluptuous 
form,  and  the  generaFferuale  graces  of  a  woman,  and  he  at 
once  desires  to  possess  her  person.  This  induces  him  to 
cultivate  her  acquaintance,  and  unless  he  finds  something 
in  her  disposition  positively  disagreeable,  ten  to  one  he  will 
offer  her  marriage.  Who  will  deny  that  sexual  desire  was 
the  moving  cause  of  this  connection  ?  A  woman  meets  a 
man  of  fine  figure,  noble  gait  and  manner,  broad  chest, 
and  elevated  head,  furnished  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of 
hair.  His  eyes  are  full  of  fire,  and  he  is  amiable,  gallant 
and  polite,  r  She  at  once  feels  a  thrilling  desire  to  become 
better  acquainted  with  him.")  What  is  that  but  a  sexual 
yearning?  Thus  far,  certainly,  no  sentimental  collusion 
can  have  occurred  between  them. 

The  philosophy  of  sexual  desires  has  been  frequently  dis- 
cussed by  learned  men,  and  interesting  experiments  have 


MUTUAL   ATTRACTION    OF   THE   SEXES.  21 

been  made  to  test  whether  the  attraction  of  the  two  sexes 
was  not  precisely  the  same  in  human  beings  as  in  the  minor 
animals.  These  tests  proved  that  our  animal  natures  are 
not  directed  altogether  by  the  intellect.  We  see  young 
persons  of  opposite  sex  mutually  caress  and  embrace  each 
other  by  some  mysterious  influence,  even  before  they  are 
of  sufficient  age  to  experience  sexual  desires.  (  This  mutual 
attraction  is  attributed  by  some  people  to  Animal  Magnet- 
ism— the  male  being  the  positive,  and  the  female  the  nega- 
tive principle.^  We,  however,  believe  it  to  be  an  instinctive 
sympathy ;f  for  experiments  have  been  made  which  prove 
that  the  Generative  Organs  of  either  sex  exercise  a  certain 
mysterious  influence  one  upon  the  other.  J  A  French  physi- 
ological writer  says  that  two  vigorous  young  persons  were 
put  in  a  semi-insensible  state  by  the  use  of  certain  drugs. 
Being  stripped  and  their  private  parts  placed  slightly  in 
contact,  (their  heads  being  fully  covered,)  this  slight  touch 
instantly  excited  the  sexual  feeling.  This  experiment  is 
reported  in  detail,  and  we  do  not  doubt  that  it  was  bona- 
ficle.  The  peculiar  instinctive  attraction  in  this  case  was 
so  delicate  that  it  acted  almost  like  electricity  to  the  male 
organ.  Besides  this  instinctive  attraction,  the  nervous  sen- 
sibility is  so  constituted  as  to  aid  in  the  union  of  the  sexes. 
In  the  present  state  of  society,  however,  young  people  do 
not  usually  wait  the  slow  process  of  Nature's  teachings, 
but  gain  their  knowledge  by  a  precocious  association  or 
under  the  instruction  of  their  seniors.  The  sexual  impulse, 
under  such  circumstances,  is  forced  and  unnatural,  and  is 
frequently  the  parent  of  incurable  disease. 

Coition,  or  sexual  union,  may  be  compared  to  a  fit  of 
epilepsy,  or  to  an  electrical  shock.  It  entirely  engages 
both  the  mind  and  the  body ;  we  neither  hear  nor  see,  but 
the  soul  is  entirely  absorbed  in  the  act.  When  a  man  is 
performing  this  act,  if  his  thoughts  wander,  the  product 
will  be  feeble,  and  if  his  wife  become  pregnant  the  off- 
spring will  be  inferior.   This  fact  is  applied  to  the  offspring 


22  SEXUAL  UNION. 

of  great  geniuses,  who  are  supposed  to  be  thinking  of 
something  else  when  they  beget  their  children,  and  hence 
their  descendants  are  often  much  below  them  in  intellect. 
In  further  confirmation  of  this  theory,  history  informs  us 
that  some  of  the  greatest  men  the  world  ever  saw  were 
bastards — children  begotten  with  vigor,  and  when  the 
minds  of  the  parents  are  supposed  to  have  been  absorbed 
in  the  one  idea  of  a  loving  sexual  embrace.  Aristotle  be- 
lieved that  the  causes  of  deformed  children,  of  monstrosi- 
ties, and  of  all  defective  offspring,  were  in  consequence  of 
imperfect  connections,  or  acts  of  generation  when  the 
minds  of  the  parents  were  depressed  by  passion,  anxiety, 
trouble,  or  any  difficult  or  abstract  matters. 

Persons  of  moderate  and  regular  habits,  with  strong  and 
sound  constitutions,  beget  healthful  infants;  while  those 
whose  habits  are  excessively  mental,  generally  produce 
feeble  offspring,  though  their  constitutions  and  general 
health  may  be  good. 

Another  cause  of  feeble  children  is  the  abuse  of  the  func- 
tion of  generation  by  too  frequent  intercourse.  In  such 
cases  the  semen  is  thin  and  watery,  being  too  suddenly 
secreted.  Harvey  says  that  to  produce  vigorous  offspring, 
the  spermatic  fluid  ought  to  remain  two  or  three  days  in 
its  receptacles  for  its  thinner  parts  to  become  absorbed, 
when  more  vitality  will  be  imparted  to  it,  and  hence  the 
more  vigorous  will  be  the  offspring. 

It  will  be  thus  seen  that  the  proper  union  of  the  sexes 
is  at  that  moment  when  the  mind  and  body  are  at  rest, 
and  when  both  parties  are  in  a  mood  for  mutual  caresses. 
Certain  moral  and  intellectual  perceptions  undoubtedly 
govern  their  feelings  under  such  circumstances,  and  aid  in 
producing  that  intense  pleasurable  feeling  which  a  healthy 
and  proper  connection  will  always  promote. 

As  to  the  times  when  sexual  union  should  be  avoided,  I 
would  say  that  during  five  or  six  days  after  the  monthly 
turn  of  the  female  commences,  it  is  absolutely  unhealthy 


WHEIn    IT   SiIOULD   BE  AVOIDED.  23 

to  both.  Married  men  of  cleanly  habits  will  religiously 
observe  the  Jewish  law  in  this  respect,  and  wait  seven 
days.  It  was  formerly  thought  that  connection  with  a  fe- 
male during  the  menstrual  flow,  was  the  origin  of  a  cer- 
tain sexual  disease  called  gonorrhoea ;  but  such  is  not  the 
fact.  Connection  during  that  period  is,  however,  unnatu- 
ral, hurtful,  and  often  painful  to  the  female,  Neither 
should  there  be  any  intimacy  of  this  kind  when  the  female 
is  troubled  with  fluor  albus,  or  whites,  as  then  there  is  dan- 
ger that  the  male  may  contract  gonorrhoea.  When  a  girl 
appoints  her  wedding  day,  she  should  reckon  as  near  as 
possible  a  time  when  she  will  be  fully  over  her  monthly 
turn.  If  subject  to  fluor  albus,  she  should  first  seek  the 
most  efficient  means  of  cure ;  and  if  possible,  a  cure  should 
be  effected  before  she  marries.  Girls  subject  to  this  com- 
plaint seldom  enjoy  the  constant  sexual  intercourse  inci- 
dent to  married  life.  Medical  science  can  manage  this  dis- 
ease so  easily  and  effectually  by  the  aid  of  the  Truss,  or 
Abdominal  Supporter,  that  there  is  no  excuse  for  neglect- 
ing it.  Unless  the  strictest  cleanliness  is  practiced  by  the 
wife  while  she  has  the  whites,  she  may  give  her  hus^nd 
the  disease  called  gonorrhoea.  She  should  never  have  any 
connection  with  him  in  the  morning  until  she  has  risen 
and  washed  the  part  thoroughly.  Suspicious  men  have 
often  believed  their -wives  unfaithful  because  they  have 
contracted  gonorrhoea  from  the  whites.  But  the  fact  is 
well  known  to  medical  men  that  that  alone  is  the  original 
cause  of  the  disease. 

In  Persia,  and  indeed  in  most  Mahomedan  countries 
where  a  plurality  of  wives  is  allowed,  it  is  considered  inde- 
cent to  approach  a  woman  for  sexual  intercourse  during 
pregnancy,  or  when  she  is  suckling  her  child.  This  cus- 
tom is  highly  commendable,  and  if  observed  among  Chris- 
tians it  would  tend  to  promote  the  health  of  both  the  mo- 
ther and  her  offspring,  for  Nature  never  intended  that  the 
nuptial  act  should  be  performed  solely  for  the  gratification 


24  IMPREGNATION. 

of  our  passions.  Nevertheless,  I  do  not  say  that  a  moderate 
indulgence  during  pregnancy  would  be  hurtful  to  a  robust 
woman ;  though  to  a  weak  and  nervous  one  it  surely  is- 
But  after  the  child  is  born,  sexual  intercourse  should  cease 
until  it  is  weaned,  to  insure  its  health.  Many  sucking  chil- 
dren die  in  consequence  of  the  sexual  indulgences  of  their 
parents,  and  none  are  wholly  unaffected  thereby. 

TIME  AND  MANNER   OF   IMPREGNATION. 

We  have  stated  elsewhere  that  there  are  certain  times 
during  the  month  when  it  is  impossible  for  a  woman  to  be 
impregnated  by  sexual  connection.  This  is  a  fact  that  may 
be  relied  upon  with  the  utmost  certainty,  and  we  will  dis- 
cuss it  more  in  detail.  The  Vesicles  of  the  Ovary  are  con- 
stantly growing  and  ripening,  as  we  have  shown.  Once  in 
four  weeks  one  or  more  of  them  is  ready  to  leave  its  cell. 
Inflammation  commences — which  is  called  the  Menstrual 
Flow — the  Vesicle  then  begins  to  enlarge,  and  by  the  time 
the  flow  ceases,  it  bursts  open,  when  the  Ovum  or  Egg 
within  escapes  and  is  taken  up  by  some  very  curious  little 
membranes  and  drawn  into  the  Fallopian  Tube.  It  passes 
through  this  tube  into  the  Womb,  and  it  is  generally  two 
days,  and  often  longer,  in  making  the  passage.  Meantime 
a  thin,  delicate  membrane,  called  the  Decidua,  forms  in  the 
Womb,  and  is  ready  to  receive  the  Egg  and  detain  it  there, 
otherwise  it  would  pass  out  and  be  lost.  This  membrane 
will  generally  last  about  a  week,  when  it  gradually  loosens 
and  passes  out,  taking  the  Egg  along  with  it.  If,  however, 
the  Egg  be  impregnated — in  other  words,  if  the  female 
have  connection  with  a  man,  and  the  Semen  comes  in  con- 
tact with  the  Egg  during  this  period,  the  Decidua  from  that 
moment  begins  to  grow  fast  to  the  Womb,  and  becomes 
one  of  the  coverings  that  protect  the  new  being  during  the 
foetal  state. 

It  will  thus  be  understood  that  during  the  first  twenty- 
four  hours  after  the  Menstrual  Flow  has  ceasecl,  there  is 


WHEN  IT  CANNOT  TAKE  TLACE.  25 

very  little  danger  of  impregnation,  and  in  some  females 
this  time  might  be  extended  to  two  or  three  days  with 
safety.  The  Zoospermes  of  the  Semen  will  live  for  twenty- 
four  hours  within  the  Womb,  and  it  is  possible  for  the  Egg 
to  be  impregnated  by  them  the  moment  it  leaves  the  Fal- 
lopian Tube.  We  therefore  state  the  probable  time  that 
impregnation  cannot  take  place  to  be  twenty-four  hours, 
allowing  the  second  twenty-four  hours  for  the  possibility 
of  there  being  living  Semen  in  the  Womb.  After  the  De- 
cidua  and  Egg  have  passed  out  of  the  Womb,  which  is 
from  ten  to  sixteen  days  after  the  Menstrual  Flow  has 
ceased,  impregnation,  or  conception,  is  then  utterly  impos- 
sible until  after  another  monthly  turn  is  over,  and  so  on. 
French  women  are  famous  for  a  clear  understanding  of  all 
the  phenomena  attending  impregnation,  and  they  generally 
avoid  it  at  pleasure.  They  know  exactly  when  the  Decidua 
and  Egg  leaves  them — they  watch  for  it,  and  it  is  said  many 
of  them  search  for  it  and  take  it  away  violently.  At  all 
events,  there  are  multitudes  of  the  class  called  grisettes — 
females  who  are  content  to  live  and  cohabit  with  any 
decent  man  who  offers  them  a  support — who  never  get  into 
the  family  way  at  all.  Their  secret  is  supposed  to  be  a 
physiological  knowledge,  or  art,  which  enables  them  to 
destroy  the  Decidua,  or  membrane  which  keeps  the  Egg 
from  passing  out  of  the  Womb.  We  confess  we  cannot 
understand  how  so  delicate  an  operation  can  be  performed 
by  a  woman  upon  her  own  person ;  but  the  thing  is  not 
impossible. 

Married  people  wrho  desire  to  avoid  having  children 
might  generally  attain  their  object  by  refraining  from  sex- 
ual intercourse  for  a  week  or  ten  days  after  the  cessation 
of  the  Menstrual  Flow ;  or,  they  might  follow  the  precau- 
tion recommended  in  our  chapter  on  Prevention  during 
that  period.  It  is  supposed  that  conception  takes  place 
within  seven  days  after  the  monthly  turn  nineteen  times 
out  of  twenty.     But  to  be  on  the  safe  side,  you  should 


2C  IMPREGNATION. 

wait  longer — even  to  sixteen  days — unless  you  can  dis- 
cover when  the  Decidua  and  Egg  pass  off.  There  are  cer- 
tain symptoms  connected  with  this  expulsion  of  the  Egg 
which  may  be  detected.  A  thin,  colorless,  watery  fluid 
comes  from  the  Vagina,  and  is  often  so  abundant  as  to  wet 
the  external  parts.  This  will  continue  for  some  hours,  and 
will  be  followed  by  a  grayish- white  clot  about  the  size  of  a 
pea.  The  discharge  of  this  clot  is  frequently  accompanied 
by  slight  pains  and  bearing  down  of  the  Womb.  This  is 
the  Decidua  and  Egg.  When  a  woman  can  discover,  with 
certainty,  the  passage  of  this  clot,  she  is  then  safe  from 
impregnation  until  after  her  next  monthly  turn. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Egg  of  the  female  is  impreg- 
nated by  the  male  Semen  is  curious  and  interesting.  In 
its  first  state,  while  in  the  Ovary,  there  may  be  seen  within 
it  a  little  dot  called  the  Germinal  Vesicle.  When  the  Egg 
is  fully  ripe,  and  just  as  it  leaves  the  Ovary,  this  little  dot 
is  by  some  unknown  process  expelled,  leaving  an  open 
passage  to  the  very  centre.  The  Egg  is  then  ready  for  mv 
pregnation ;  for,  on  passing  into  the  Womb,  if  the  male 
Semen  come  in  contact  with  it,  one  of  the  animalculse  in- 
stantly darts  into  this  open  passage  and  buries  itself.  All 
these  curious  operations  of  Nature  have  been  discovered 
by  the  use  of  the  Microscope,  and  they  are  not  only  very 
interesting,  but  are  of  great  importance  to  mankind. 

It  will  be  seen  from  these  explanations  of  the  principles 
of  Impregnation,  that  a  healthy  woman  may  conceive  un- 
der almost  any  circumstances — that  the  idea  that  a  first  and 
only  connection  would  not  impregnate  is  erroneous — that 
the  most  brutal  violation  may  cause  conception — in  short, 
that  if  a  female  were  rendered  senseless  by  drugs,  or  by  a 
blow  upon  the  head,  this  would  not  prevent  the  impregna- 
tion of  the  Egg  if  the  time  were  propitious. 

Sexual  enjoyment  of  the  female  during  connection  may 
hasten  the  accomplishment  of  the  desired  end  in  various 
ways,  but  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  impregnation  or 


NYMPHOMANIA.  27 

conception.  Indeed,  there  are  many  females  of  cold  tem- 
perament who  seldom  experience  any  very  pleasing  sensa- 
tions during  connection,  and  some  who  have  no  sexual 
desires  at  all.  I  knew  a  case  in  Hartford,  Connecticut, 
many  years  ago,  where  a  wealthy  gentleman  desired  off- 
spring. He  had  lost  his  Penis  when  quite  a  young  man ; 
but  yet  he  was  able,  at  times,  to  discharge  Semen  from  the 
urinary  passage.  He  was  married  after  the  loss  of  his  pri- 
vate member,  and  lived  with  his  wife — a  very  worthy  wo- 
man — ten  years,  never  dreaming  that  he  could  ever  be- 
come a  father.  One  day  a  physician  banteringly  told  him 
of  a  similar  case  in  Vienna,  where  the  man  had  actually 
become  a  father  by  the  use  of  a  small  glass  syringe,  with 
which  he  injected  his  Semen  into  the  Vagina.  It  was  a 
singular  coincidence  that  this  Hartford  gentleman  after- 
wards became  the  father  of  two  interesting  little  ones.  He 
had  doubtless  used  the  Syringe ! 

There  is  a  class  of  amorous  women  who  cannot  be  im- 
pregnated at  all.  They  are  afflicted  with  a  sort  of  disease 
called  Nymphomania,  or  insatiable  passion  for  venery. 
Such  cases  are  rare,  but  still  they  occur.  A  young  lady 
patient  of  mine,  in  describing  this  disease,  said  that  she 
had  the  most  irresistible  disposition  to  lasciviousness  ima- 
ginable ;  that  when  alone  she  could  not  desist  from  rub- 
bing the  parts  until  she  became  exhausted  and  sunk  down 
in  perspiration:  she  slept  well,  but  as  soon  as  she  was 
awake  the  same  propensity  recurred.  Another  lady  (mar- 
ried) who  consulted  me,  said  she  had  always  been  brought 
up  virtuously,  and  had  hitherto  been  well  disposed;  but 
now  a  man  could  scarcely  pass  her  without  her  experi- 
encing those  sensations  which  were  alone  her  husband's 
right. 

Nymphomania  is  attended  with  obscenity,  restlessness, 
and  delirium.  The  patients  delight  to  talk  obscenely,  and 
solicit  men  to  satisfy  their  desires,  both  by  words  and  ges- 
tures.    It  is  generally  caused  by  masturbation,  or  undue 


28  sexual  formations; 

irritation  of  the  private  parts  when  very  young ;  and  the 
usual  treatment  is  to  keep  them  well  syringed  out  with 
castile  soap  and  water,  and  wear  a  bag  of  powdered  cam- 
phor on  the  back  of  the  neck.  Camphor  taken  internally 
is  also  good.  A  very  little  camphor  introduced  into  the 
water  with  which  you  wash  the  part  will  likewise  act 
favorably. 

Young  females  troubled  with  Nymphomania,  who  there- 
by bring  themselves  into  disgrace,  are  more  to  be  pitied 
than  despised :  for  it  requires  a  great  degree  of  moral  firm- 
ness for  them  to  resist  both  the  promptings  of  Nature  and 
those  of  licentious  men  at  the  same  moment.  Parents  and 
guardians  should  act  accordingly. 

CAUSES   WHICH   DETERMINE    THE    SEX   OF   A   CHILD. 

Physiologists  have  given  many  absurd  ideas  on  this 
subject,  and  almost  all  their  theories  have  been  exploded. 
In  olden  time  it  was  believed  that  male  children  came 
from  the  right  ovary  of  the  mother,  while  females  came 
from  the  left.  Hence  it  was  asserted  that  on  whichever 
side  she  lay  after  connection,  the  ovary  on  that  side  would 
be  impregnated.  This  plan  of  producing  girls  or  boys  at 
pleasure  did  not  work,  and  was  discarded  even  before  the 
present  minute  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  generation 
became  known.  The  sex  of  an  infant  is  not  necessarily 
determined  at  its  conception.  In  their  unformed  state,  the 
Testes  are  within  the  body  in  about  the  same  position  as 
the  Ovaries,  and  are  similar  to  them  in  appearance.  It  is 
therefore  possible  that  certain  causes  may  influence  the  sex 
of  the  Foetus  after  it  has  commenced  its  growth.  As  a 
general  rule,  however,  the  sex  of  a  child  is  influenced  by 
circumstances  at  the  moment  of  conception.  Both  experi- 
ment and  observation  have  shown  that  the  most  ardent 
and  vigorous  individual  of  the  couple,  whether  it  be  the 
man  or  the  woman,  will  cause  the  sex  of  the  child.  On 
the  other  hand,  where  both  are  nearly  alike  in  this  respect, 


HOW   DETERMINED.  29 

other  influences  must  govern,  and  hence  some  couples  have 
children  of  both  sexes.  The  relative  ages  of  married  peo- 
ple frequently  has  an  influence,  because,  when  both  are 
young,  the  oldest  of  the  two  is  usually  the  most  vigorous, 
and  hence,  as  before  stated,  sex  follows  the  predominating 
parent.  Some  physicians  lay  it  down  as  a  rule,  that  an 
elderly  or  middle-aged  man  will  be  sure  to  get  boys  from  a 
young  woman,  and  vice  versa.  But  the  rule  does  not  work 
in  every  case.  There  is  such  a  difference  of  sexual  desires 
in  different  people,  that  it  is  impossible  for  any  one,  except 
perhaps  themselves,  to  judge  which  has  the  most  robust 
sexual  powers.  Another  cause  of  sex  is  supposed  to  be 
the  relative  amorousness  of  the  couple  after  impregnation 
has  taken  place.  Some  women  experience  much  pleasure 
in  sexual  connection  until  they  become  enciente,  and  then 
all  their  desires  suddenly  cease.  In  cases  like  this,  where 
the  connection  is  continued,  the  husband  would  be  apt  to 
influence  the  sex  after  conception,  and  then  the  offspring 
would  be  male.  But  should  circumstances  prevent  their 
continued  connection,  she  would,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten, 
give  birth  to  a  female  child.  To  sum  up,  amorous  females 
generally  breed  female  children,  while  those  of  a  colder 
temperament  breed  boys.  When  both  are  moderate  in 
their  desires,  children  of  botli  sexes  are  produced.  When 
the  female  is  unnaturally  amorous,  (and  such  cases  fre- 
quently occur,)  she  seldom  becomes  impregnated  at  all. 
The  following  mode  of  influencing  the  sex  of  the  child, 
some  physiologists  assert,  is  really  effective,  and  it  looks 
reasonable.  When  the  woman  is  just  over  her  monthly 
turn — say  within  two  or  three  days — the  husband  may 
then  try  for  a  girl.  After  one  or  two  connections,  let  him 
abstain  for  the  next  month  or  two,  or  even  longer.  He 
thus  impregnates  his  wife  at  the  moment  of  her  greatest 
sexual  vigor,  and  by  abstinence  he  does  not  influence 
the  sex  of  the  child  after  conception.  Should  he  desire 
a  boy,  let  him  keep  up  his   connection  for  two  weeks 


30  RESEMBLANCE   OF   CHILDREN   TO   PARENTS. 

or  more  after  his  wife  has  got  over  her  monthly  turn,  at 
the  same  time  carefully  practicing  the  precaution  of  with- 
drawal, described  in  other  pages  under  the  head  "  Modes 
of  Preventing  Conception."  At  that  period  the  wife  will 
have  partially  exhausted  her  amative  powers,  when  he 
can  be  almost  certain  that  a  boy  will  be  the  result  of  her 
impregnation. 

A  curious  fact  relative  to  the  resemblance  of  children  to 
their  parents  has  been  developed  by  observation.  Where 
a  man  is  absent  from  his  wife  during  the  period  of  gesta- 
tion, the  child  is  almost  sure  to  resemble  the  mother.  On 
the  other  hand,  an  amorous  father,  who  keeps  a  constant 
connection  with  his  wife  during  pregnancy,  will  cause  the 
child  to  resemble  him.  If  a  woman  should  become  preg- 
nant by  one  man,  and  then  cohabit  constantly  with  another 
during  her  pregnancy,  the  child  would  bear  a  resemblance 
to  the  second  man  rather  than  to  its  father.  This  would 
surely  be  the  case  if  she  were  fond  of  the  hitter's  caresses. 

It  often  happens  that  a  married  couple  will  have  "  a  run" 
of  children  of  one  sex,  and  then  turn  round  and  breed 
those  of  the  opposite  sex.  This  may  be  accounted  for  by 
the  failing  health,  and  consequent  vigor,  of  the  predomi- 
nating parent.  Thus  if  a  woman  begins  to  breed  boys, 
and  after  having  had  several,  turns  round  and  breeds  a 
number  of  girls,  it  is  a  pretty  sure  sign  that  the  sexual 
vigor  of  her  husband  is  on  the  wane,  or  that  his  bodily 
health  is  failing.  Should  girls  come  first  in  rotation,  and 
boys  afterwards,  the  mother's  generative  vigor  may  be  sus- 
pected of  falling  off.  These  are,  however,  mere  suggestive 
ideas ;  though  readers  may  understand  from  them  the  prin- 
ciple upon  which  Nature  forms  the  two  sexes.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  a  careful  and  practical  study  of  the  subject 
may  sometimes  enable  parents  to  elect  the  sex  of  their  off- 
spring, on  the  principle  we  have  explained ;  but  there  are 
so  many  curious  phases  in  the  phenomena  of  procreation, 
that  any  certainty  on  the  subject  is  out  of  the  question. 


FCETAL   FORMATION.  31 

DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   F03TUS. 

The  escape  or  expulsion  of  the  Germinal  Yesicle  from 
the  Ovum,  or  Egg,  leaves,  as  we  have  already  explained,  a 
passage  to  its  very  centre,  thus  enabling  the  Zoospermes,  or 
male  animalculse,  to  enter.  If  both  are  perfect  and  healthy, 
impregnation  is  then  complete.  The  first  change  that  now 
takes  place  is  observed  in  the  Yitellus,  or  yellow  of  the  Egg, 
which  at  once  forms  itself  into  a  mass  of  little  globules ; 
and  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  these  are  always  a  fixed  even 
number,  generally  beginning  with  four  or  six,  and  so  mul- 
tiplying or  doubling — always,  however,  keeping  the  num- 
ber even.  If  by  chance  they  should  end  their  self-arrange- 
ment by  an  odd  number,  a  perfect  being  could  not  be 
formed — the  impregnation  would  end  either  in  an  abortion 
or  an  unnatural  growth  in  the  Womb.  It  generally  takes 
two  or  three  days  for  the  globules  to  arrange  themselves, 
and  meantime  the  Zoosperme,  or  male  principle,  remains 
dormant.  The  globules  soon  begin  to  form  themselves 
either  into  Testicles  or  Ovaries,  as  the  sex  may  be,  of 
the  future  being.  At  the  same  time  myriads  of  smaller 
globules  break  off  from  them  and  spread  all  round  the 
Zoosperme,  which  is  soon  entirely  covered  or  coated  with 
them.  They  now  grow  together  and  form  the  skin.  The 
Zoosperme  is  supposed  to  be  the  head  and  spine,  and  the 
globules,  which  thus  form  the  skin,  shut  out  our  view  from 
observing  any  further  formations.  The  Testicles,  or  Ova- 
ries, as  the  case  may  be,  are  now  quite  prominent,  though 
we  cannot  yet  determine  the  sex,  even  with  the  most  pow- 
erful microscope,  nor  is  there  any  form  to  the  new  being 
other  than  the  original  shape  of  the  male  animalcule. 

After  the  formation  of  the  skin  and  procreative  organs, 
as  stated,  the  little  being  again  shows  signs  of  life,  and 
struggles  in  its  Egg  until  it  frees  itself  from  all  the  mem- 
branous substances  which  surround  it,  and. is  enabled  to 
turn  round  at  its  pleasure.     Its  movements  are  frequently 


32  PCBTAL   FORMATION. 

rapid  and  lively,  and  they  doubtless  are  necessary  to  the 
formations  and  changes  which  soon  begin  to  take  place. 
At  the  end  of  twelve  days  the  Ovum  is  found  to  be  en- 
larged to  the  size  of  a  pea,  and  its  whole  organization  may 
be  seen  with  the  naked  eye.     It  is  coated  with  two  mem- 
branes, between  which  is  a  gelatinous  substance,  and  the 
interior  is  filled  with  a  fluid  in  which  the  foetus  swims 
about  at  pleasure.     On  a  close  examination,  the  mouth 
and  eyes  can  be  seen  about  the  fifteenth  day.     The  eyes 
first  appear  on  the  side  of  the  head,  and,  as  the  Foetus 
grows,  they  move  round  to  their  position.      In  ten  days 
more  we  see  the  future  being  in  form  and  size  like  a  small 
ant.     At  the  end  of  the  first  month  it  has  increased  to  the 
size  of  a  honey-bee,  and  the  arms  begin  to  grow — first  ap- 
pearing like  small  warts  on  the  body.    The}'  sprout  straight 
out,  and  are  then  folded  together  on  the  breast.     At  this 
time  the  head  is  as  large  as  all  the  rest  of  the  body,  and 
the  features  can  be  distinguished.     The  legs  have  not  yet 
appeared,  but  the  lower  extremities  are  like  a  tail.    At  two 
months  the  legs  and  feet  appear,  the  toes  being  united  simi- 
lar to  frogs1  feet.     During  the  tenth  week  the  eyes  show 
their  lids,  the  mouth  becomes  more  prominent,  and  the 
ears  may  be  seen.     The  heart  is  now  fully  developed,  but 
as  yet  contains  no  blood.     The  brain  shows  its  form  and 
substance.     The  next  change  brings  red  blood  to  the  larger 
veins  and  to  the  heart,  and  at  the  end  of  three  months  the 
shape  and  form  of  the  future  being  is  nearly  perfect,  weigh- 
ing less  than  three  ounces.     The  next  process  of  Kature  is 
the  thickening  of  the  skin,  and  so  rapid  now  is  the  growth 
that  within  one  month  the  Foetus  fully  doubles  in  weight. 
During  the  fourth  month  the  bones  begin  to  ossify,  the 
uterus  rises  in  the  abdomen,  and  we  are  then  enabled  to 
determine  the  sex.     This  change  is  what  is  usually  called 
quickening,  and  it  corresponds  with  the  time  of  breaking 
the  shell  in  birds.     At  the  end  of  the  fifth  month  the  fin- 
ger-nails appear,  and  fine  silky  hair  begins  to  grow  on  the 


POSITION    OF    fHE    CIIM.D    AT   NINE    MONTHS. 


FOETAL  FOOD  DURING   GESTATION.  S3 

head.  At  seven  months  the  being  is  generally  perfect,  the 
bones  are  firm  and  hard,  and  it  weighs  about  three  pounds. 
The  intellectual  faculties  are  not  developed,  however.  The 
eighth  and  ninth  months  merely  increase  the  size  and 
strength  of  the  child. 

Our  Engravings  show  the  relative  sizes  and  position  of  a 
Foetus,  as  it  lies  in  the  Womb,  at  three  several  stages  of 
gestation.  They  are  original  drawings  from  anatomical 
figures  in  wax  in  the  New  York  Anatomical  Museum. 

The  child,  previous  to  birth,  never  takes  nutriment  in 
by  its  mouth,  for  that  is  always  firmly  closed  until  after 
birth.  Its  food  during  gestation  is  probably  derived  from 
the  blood  of  its  mother  through  the  umbilical  cord,  or 
navel-string,  which  likewise  supplies  its  veins  and  arteries 
until  the  very  hour  of  birth.  An  artery  and  two  veins 
pass  through  this  cord.  There  is  sometimes  an  impedi- 
ment in  the  circulation  of  new-born  infants,  which  is  call- 
ed the  blue  disease,  and  for  which  there  is  no  remedy.  In 
these  cases  the  body  is  of  a  leaden  blue  color,  and  the  child 
appears  sleepy  and  inanimate.  Such  children  usually  die 
before  they  are  a  year  old,  though  sometimes  they  live  four 
or  five  years. 

SEXUAL,  INDULGENCE. 

Most  men  are  of  an  amative  disposition,  and  after  the 
age  of  pubertjr  have  frequent  desires  to  indulge  in  sexual 
intercourse.  Some  feel  this  desire  so  overpoweringly  that 
everything  else  is  forgone,  all  risks  are  run,  and  conse- 
quences madly  braved,  merely  for  the  gratification  of  a 
momentary  passion.  Females,  on  the  contrary,  are  seldom 
troubled  with  sexual  desires ;  and  among  those  who  risk 
their  reputation  and  their  social  existence  in  the  gratifica- 
tion of  illicit  love,  few  are  prompted  to  the  act  by  the  ama- 
tive feeling.  It  is  the  idea  that  they  are  loved,  and  the 
wish  to  impart  pleasure  to  the  loved  object,  that  overpow- 
ers their  own  judgment.  When  once  a  man  has  gained 
3 


34  SEXUAL  INDULGENCE. 

the  love  of  a  true  female  heart,  it  lies  in  his  power  to  use 
her  person  at  will.  Very  few  of  the  weaker  sex  can  with- 
stand the  promptings  of  disinterested  affection;) but  their 
sexual  passions  seldom  lead  them  astray. 

In  sexual  union,  the  ecstatic  point  of  enjoyment  is  term- 
ed in  medical  phrase  the  Orgasm,  and  in  some  men  it  is  so 
intense  that  all  consciousness  ceases,  and  a  perfect  insensi- 
bility to  everything  around  is  produced  for  the  moment' 
The  Orgasm  is  usually  followed  by  a  state  of  dreamy  lan- 
guor or  exhaustion,  which  induces  sleep.  In  women  the 
Orgasm  is  not  always  experienced,  and  some  females  of 
cold  temperament  do  not  know  what  it  is,  though  they  are 
often  excited,  and  feel  a  certain  degree  of  pleasure.  When 
it  does  occur  in  women,  it  is  often  even  more  intense  than 
in  the  other  sex,  causing  convulsive  motions  and  involun- 
tary cries.  It  does  not  exhaust  the  system,  as  in  the  male, 
and  the  dreamy  languor  is  more  pleasing,  and  will  often 
continue  for  an  hour  or  more.  It  sometimes  happens  that 
a  female  of  amative  desires  is  never  satisfied  with  one 
Orgasm,  but  craves  frequent  and  repeated  intercourse,  as 
the  indulgence  does  not  exhaust  her  as  it  does  her  partner. 
Such  a  woman,  unless  she  be  possessed  of  great  moral 
firmness,  is  apt  either  to  injure  the  health  of  her  husband, 
or  to  indulge  in  illicit  love.  Happily,  cases  like  this  are 
rare.  The  male  can  have  but  one  perfect  Orgasm  at  the 
same  time,  because  he  must  secrete  a  new  supply  of  Semen 
before  another  can  take  place.  Men  do  frequently  attempt 
the  second,  third,  and  even  more  frequent  connections 
within  a  few  hours,  but  the  subsequent  ones  are  spasmodic 
and  hurtful.  Those  who  value  their  health,  and  desire  to 
enjoy  true  sexual  pleasure,  should  never  attempt  these  re- 
petitions, as  they  permanently  injure  the  organs,  and  im- 
part to  them  an  unnatural  craving  for  frequent  intercourse. 
Two  or  three  days  should  occur  between  the  periods  of 
sexual  indulgence  to  enable  a  man  to  enjoy  it  in  full  per- 
fection.    The  female  Orgasm,  not  being  produced  by  any 


ORGASMS  OF   THE  FEMALE.  35 

secretion,  maybe  enjoyed  without  particular  injury,  though 
it  is  sometimes  apt  to  affect  the  nerves.  In  most  females  it 
is  very  difficult  to  be  produced — in  others  it  will  occur 
during  sleep,  and  be  entirely  absent  while  in  the  act  of  coi- 
tion/ Orgasms  in  the  female  may  therefore  be  experienced 
without  the  least  licentious  idea  being  entertained.  This  is 
sometimes  the  case  with  a  class  of  women  called  u  medi- 
ums" by  the  Spiritualists.  The  same  temperaments  are 
those  which  can  be  put  in  a  mesmeric  slumber.  Women 
of  great  devotional  feeling  are  generally  of  this  class, 
though  not  always.  Dr.  Hollick  tells  us  of  a  lady  much 
addicted  to  mesmeric  practices,  who  wrote  to  him  her  ex- 
perience. She  confessed  that  whenever  she  was  capable 
of  being  acted  upon,  mesmerically,  the  mesmeric  state  was 
always  preceded  by  sexual  excitement — often  amounting 
to  a  perfect  Orgasm — and  that  if  this  feeling  was  not  ex- 
perienced, she  could  never  be  mesmerized.  Sometimes  so 
many  Orgasms  would  follow  each  other  that  she  would 
become  completely  exhausted  and  faint  away.  According 
to  her  statement,  the  mesmeric  sleep,  or  ecstasy,  was  no- 
thing but  the  dreamy  languor  following  a  sexual  Orgasm.  J 
There  are  some  mysteries  connected  with  these  peculiari- 
ties of  the  female  system  which  Science  has  thus  far  failed 
to  discover ;  but  new  facts  come  to  light  every  day,  and  it 
is  probable  we  may  yet  solve  them.  The  sexual  feeling  in 
females  is  often  curious  and  peculiar,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
that  the  mind  and  imagination  control  it  in  some  unex- 
plained manner.  A  case  occurred  in  France  where  a  fe- 
male enjoyed  the  feeling  to  excess  with  one  man,  while 
with  others  she  could  enjoy  nothing,  though  these  latter 
persons  were  quite  as  agreeable  and  pleasing  to  her.  (This 
fact  shows  that  there  are  persons  of  opposite  sexes  natu- 
rally adapted  to  each  other,  and  where  such  people  marry 
they  are  generally  happy  in  the  marriage  states 
/"  Sexual  intercourse  is  no  doubt  beneficial  to  health  in  all 
fully  developed  persons,  and  in  some  females  it  is  actually 


36  SEXUAL  indulgence; 

necessary  to  preserve  their  lives.)  It  is  a  proper  stimulant 
to  the  nervous  system,  and  serves  as  a  sort  of  safety-valve 
when  the  vital  functions  are  too  active.  The  statistics  of 
the  world  show  that  married  people  are  longer  lived  on  the 
average  than  single  ones,  and  it  is  quite  certain  that  as  a 
general  rule  they  enjoy  more  perfect  health.  M.  Pidoux, 
a  French  physician  who  had  practiced  extensively  in  the 
Nunneries,  assures  us  that  almost  invariably  the  Nuns  are 
afflicted  with  floodings,  with  an  absence  of  their  monthly 
turns,  and  with  other  uterine  diseases,  after  they  reach  a 
certain  age. 

The  proper  time  for  sexual  indulgence  is  an  important 
consideration,  inasmuch  as  carelessness  in  this  respect  may 
tend  to  dyspepsia,  indigestion,  and  other  affections  of  the 
stomach.  Persons  who  are  predisposed  to  such  diseases 
should  never  have  sexual  intercourse  just  before  eating, 
nor  very  soon  after  a  full  meal.  Its  peculiar  effect  on  the 
stomach  is  calculated  to  weaken  digestion,  particularly  on 
the  part  of  the  male ;  and  many  a  miserable  dyspeptic 
might  trace  his  unhappiness  to  imprudent  acts  of  sexual 
intercourse.  From  two  to  three  hours  after  or  before  eat- 
ing a  full  meal,  is  the  proper  time  for  this  business.  Both 
the  body  and  the  mind  should  be  calm  and  at  perfect  rest 
— no  troubles  or  bickerings  should  disturb  the  perfect  har- 
mony of  the  amorous  pair — nor  should  the  thoughts  be 
allowed  to  stray  away  from  the  matter  at  issue.  Tristram 
Shandy  tells  us  that  he  owed  the  whole  misfortunes  of  his 
life  to  an  idle  remark  made  by  his  mother  at  the  very  mo- 
ment of  his  conception ! 

A  full  enjoyment  of  sexual  intercourse  depends  as  much 
upon  the  proper  time  chosen,  the  condition  of  the  parties, 
and  their  mutual  sympathies,  as  upon  the  fact  that  they 
are  really  persons  of  the  opposite  sex.  It  should  not  be 
indulged  in  except  when  there  is  a  natural  desire  and  a 
vigorous  impulse.  It  should  be  avoided  whenever  it  tends 
to  produce  a  depression  of  spirits,  or  the  least  debility.    It 


HOW  TO   BE   LIMITED.  37 

should  never  be  indulged  in  during  intoxication,  or  where 
the  sexual'  organs  of  either  party  are  diseased  or  out  of 
order.  It  ought  to  be  entirely  abstained  from  during  six 
or  seven  days  after  the  commencement  of  the  female 
monthly  turn,  and  for  one  month  after  child-birth.  It 
would  be  better,  for  both  mother  and  child,  if  no  sexual 
intercourse  was  indulged  in  during  the  whole  period  of 
suckling  her  infant,  but  as  that  abstinence  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pected from  ordinary  men,  I  advise  as  little  connection  as 
possible  during  that  time.  And  should  connection  with  a 
suckling  mother  prematurely  bring  on  her  menses,  (as  it 
sometimes  does,)  she  must  immediately  wean  her  child. 

Female  prostitutes  never  enjoy  their  sexual  connections 
with  strangers — they  are  mere  passive  instruments — while 
the  male  only  relieves  himself  of  a  superabundance  of  Se- 
men. Too  frequent  intercourse  is  quite  as  unnatural; 
those  who  practice  it  rob  themselves  of  more  than  half  the 
pleasure  they  seek.  A  man  in  robust  health  who  has  re- 
frained from  sexual  pleasures,  may,  it  is  true,  enjoy  such 
intercourse  once  in  twenty-four  hours  for  several  days  to- 
gether; but  he  could  not  attain  the  full  enjoyment  from 
one  female.  He  must  then  rest.  I  speak  of  the  highest 
degree  of  sexual  pleasures.  Many  newly  married  couples 
give  no  limit  to  their  indulgences ;  and  it  is  to  such  that  I 
say,  you  deny  yourselves  of  the  real  pleasures  of  married 
life.  A  little  philosophy,  and  some  experiments  on  the 
hints  given,  would  render  the  married  state  a  state  of  more 
refined  pleasures  than  it  now  presents  to  a  large  class  of 
mankind. 

The  particular  food  which  is  calculated  to  stimulate  the 
sexual  organs  is  shell-fish,  or  sea  fish  of  any  kind,  and 
turtle,  as  these  generally  contain  phosphorus.  Among 
vegetables  may  be  mentioned  celery,  parsnips,  onions,  pep- 
pers, asparagus,  tomatoes,  Lima  beans,  &c.  Mushrooms 
and  truffles  are  a  stimulant,  as  is  also  mint,  sage,  penny- 
royal, thyme,  and  spices  of  all  kinds,  especially  pepper  and 


38  PREVENTING   CONCEPTION 

nutmeg.  Canvas-back  Duck,  in  proper  season,  is  of  excel- 
lent stimulating  qualities ;  and  for  puddings,  sago,  tapioca 
and  arrowroot.  For  drinks  take  porter  and  strong  beer, 
wines,  or  coffee.  Spirits  are  too  exhilerating,  and  cause  a 
reaction. 

HOW   TO   AVOID   CHILD-GETTING. 

The  effectual  Prevention  of  Conception  is  a  subject  in 
which  everybody  is  interested.  No  class  of  mankind  in 
civilized  life  desires  an  unlimited  number  of  offspring; 
yet  Nature  has  made  prevention  a  somewhat  difficult  task. 
Persons  of  energy  and  resolution  can,  however,  fully  ac- 
complish their  object  in  this  respect  if  they  will  but  dis- 
card the  notion  that  the  delights  of  sexual  intercourse  are 
marred  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  male  organ  just  before 
the  discharge  of  Semen  takes  place.  This  plan  injures 
neither  party,  nor  does  it  really  diminish  the  pleasurable 
sensations  of  the  connection.  •  If  you  once  form  the  habit 
of  withdrawal,  you  will  find  it  to  be  a  far  more  desirable 
and  satisfactory  mode  than  it  at  first  appears.  I  know 
that  the  plan  is  discouraged  by  many  physicians,  and  has 
been  pronounced  a  kind  of  Onanism  on  the  part  of  the 
male ;  but  it  is  not  so.  If  properly  performed,  the  act  of 
coition  is  as  pleasurable,  as  healthy  and  as  complete  as  it 
can  be  when  the  Semen  is  fully  injected.  The  cleanliness 
of  this  practice  is  also  a  great  desideratim,  as  females  of 
any  degree  of  refinement  can  understand.  I  would  then 
suggest  to  married  people  the  following  rule:  Always 
carry  to  bed  a  clean  napkin,  which  is  to  be  kept  in  the 
hand  of  the  male  during  the  nuptial  act.  It  will  then  be 
a  very  easy  matter  to  place  this  napkin  in  a  proper  posi- 
tion to  receive  the  Semen  on  withdrawal,  at  the  instant  it 
would  otherwise  be  injected  into  the  body  of  the  female. 
If  you  do  it  at  the  proper  moment,  no  pleasure  is  lost  to 
either  party ;  and  habit  will  soon  make  }rou  expert  in  this 
respect.     This  is  the  most  certain  mode  of  preventing  con- 


BY    USE   OF   THE   FEMALE   SYRINGE.  39 

ception  that  can  be  adopted,  but  as  it  cannot  be  carried  out 
except  by  the  prompt  action  of  the  husband,  other  plans 
are  sometimes  necessary  to  give  the  wife  confidence,  and 
make  her  feel  sure  of  success.  These  we  wdl  proceed  to 
explain  as  minutely  as  possible. 

The  judicious  use  of  an  ordinary  female  syringe,  with 
cold  water  alone,  or  a  weak  solution  of  white  vitriol  or 
other  stringent  in  cold  water,  immediately  after  coition, 
will  in  most  cases  prevent  conception.  The  syringe  must 
be  a  large  one,  if  made  of  metal,  and  should  be  filled  seve- 
ral times,  and  its  contents  injected  as  far  up  as  possible. 
The  India-rubber  syringe  has  of  late  years  nearly  super- 
seded metal  ones,  and  is  beautifully  adapted  to  the  business 
of  preventing  conception.  By  the  use  of  this  article  a  fe- 
male may  inject  as  much  fluid  as  she  pleases,  through  an 
elastic  tube,  quite  as  far  up  into  her  person  as  is  necessary. 
The  mixture  should  be  prepared  beforehand,  and,  with  the 
syringe,  kept  by  her  bed-side,  as  success  often  depends  upon 
promptness  in  using  it.  If  used  immediately,  with  a  weak 
solution,  as  hereinafter  stated,  there  is  very  little  danger 
but  that  a  woman  may  keep  herself  safe  from  child-bearing 
as  long  as  she  pleases.  Solutions  of  Alum,  Sulphate  of 
Zinc,  Chloride  of  Zinc,  Sulphate  of  Iron,  &c,  will  kill  the 
animalculse  of  the  Semen,  if  injected  with  sufficient  force 
and  profuseness.  If  the  woman  rises  instantly  and  per- 
forms the  duty,  she  will  probably  be  successful.  If  solu- 
tions are  used  in  preference  to  pure  cold  water,  it  is  better 
to  use  water  at  last  as  a  rinsing  process.  The  use  of  the 
syringe,  so  far  from  injuring  the  female,  keeps  the  part 
clean  and  healthy,  and  tends  to  promote  general  good 
health.  In  commencing  this  practice,  you  should  first  ac- 
custom yourself  to  the  use  of  cold  water  by  degrees.  Use 
but  little  at  first,  and  let  it  not  be  too  cold.  Increase  the 
quantity  and  the  coldness  gradually,  until  at  last  the  feel- 
ing will  be  refreshing  and  agreeable.  India-rubber  syringes 
can  be  purchased  at  almost  any  respectable  drug-store  in 


40  LOTIONS  TO   KILL   TH£   ZOOSPKKMLS. 

New  York,  at  from  two  to  three  dollars.  We  can  furnish 
the  best  article  to  our  customers  for  three  dollars.  It  is  an 
instrument  that  every  family  should  keep  in  the  house  to 
be  used  in  case  of  sickness,  if  for  no  other  purpose. 

Either  of  the  following  lotions  may  be  used,  as  we  have 
explained,  in  preventing  conception.  Sulphate  of  Iron  is 
the  favorite  article  which  our  quack  doctors  recommend. 
They  usually  charge  five  dollars  for  an  ounce  paper  of  it, 
including  directions  for  use;  whereas  the  cost  in  New 
York,  at  a  drug-store,  is  less  than  fifty  cents  a  pound. 

Lotions. — 1.  Dissolve  half  an  ounce,  or  more,  of  pul- 
verized Alum  in  two  quarts  of  rain-water.  If  you  can  get 
Sulphate  of  Zinc,  put  in  that  with  the  Alum,  in  equal  quan- 
tities, say  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  each. 

2.  Two  drams  (quarter  of  an  ounce)  Sulphate  of  Zinc 
in  two  quarts  of  soft  water.  Or,  one-third  of  an  ounce 
will  perhaps  do  better,  if  used  alone. 

3.  Chloride  of  Zinc,  (liquid,)  half  a  fluid  ounce  to  two 
quarts  of  water.  You  can  buy  an  ounce  phial  full,  and  use 
half  at  a  time,  or  a  two  or  four  ounce  phial,  and  use  in  pro- 
portion. If  you  prefer  to  make  the  lotion  stronger,  it  will 
do  no  harm. 

4.  Take  one  and  a  half  to  two  ounces  Sulphate  of  Iron 
and  mix  it  with  two  quarts  of  soft  water.  This  is  a  mix- 
ture which  any  New  York  quack  will  charge  you  from 
three  to  five  dollars  for,  and  will  pretend  it  is  a  great  and 
wonderful  secret. 

Another  plan  which  the  wife  may  adopt  for  the  preven- 
tion of  conception  is  as  follows :  Procure  a  fine  sponge  at 
a  drug-store,  and  cut  off  a  piece  of  it  about  the  size  of  a 
walnut ;  then  make  a  fine  silk  string  by  twisting  together 
some  threads  of  sewing  silk ;  tie  one  end  of  the  string  to 
the  piece  of  sponge ;  wet  the  sponge  in  a  weak  solution  of 
sulphate  of  iron,  or  of  any  of  the  solutions  before  mention- 
ed as  fatal  to  the  animalculae  of  the  Semen.  Before  connec- 
tion, insert  the  piece  of  sponge  far  up  into  your  person. 


COVERINGS  FOR  THE  PENIS.  41 

You  can  place  it  entirely  out  of  the  way  by  the  use  of  a 
smooth  stick  of  the  proper  size  and  shape.  The  string 
will  hang  out,  but  will  be  no  obstacle.  After  the  act  is 
over,  you  withdraw  the  sponge,  and  if  you  have  a  syringe, 
use  that  also.  This  method  is  pronounced  by  some  phy- 
sicians to  be  a  sure  one,  and  the  only  objection  to  it  is  that 
it  is  apt  to  mar  the  pleasure  experienced  by  the  wife. 
Some  of  our  quack  doctors  charge  five  dollars  for  this  in- 
formation. It  is  true,  they  furnish  a  certain  mysterious 
powder  to  make  a  mixture  of  in  which  to  wet  the  sponge 
used ;  but  the  powder  is  nothing  more  than  sulphate  of 
iron,  or  some  astringent  similar  to  those  named  by  us. 

Coverings  for  the  Penis,  which  are  used  in  Europe  to 
avoid  contracting  sexual  diseases  from  prostitutes,  must 
necessarily  prevent  conception.  With  one  of  these  cover- 
ings (which  are  now  made  beautifully  with  a  preparation 
of  India-rubber)  a  man  may  be  certain  that  he  will  never 
impregnate  his  wife.  But  the  enjoyment  of  the  nuptial 
act  is  not  so  complete  as  a  naked  Penis  affords,  hence  the 
covering,  or  sheath,  is  not  very  popular.  The  cost  of  the 
best  article  is  about  three  dollars  a  dozen. 

Some  men  tie  up  the  scrotum  to  prevent  a  discharge 
of  Semen,  and  thus  hope  to  avoid  impregnating  the  fe- 
male ;  but  this  method  is  exceedingly  hurtful,  as  it  forces 
the  discharge  into  the  bladder,  from  whence  it  passes  off 
with  the  urine.  Such  a  practice  will  in  a  short  time  so  de- 
range the  procreative  organs  as  to  send  all  the  Semen  into 
the  bladder  as  fast  as  it  generates,  and  the  effect  on  health 
will  be  a  wasting  away  of  vitality  in  the  same  manner  as 
if  the  patient  constantly  practiced  self-pollution. 

I  have  thus  given  the  only  safe  methods  of  preventing 
conception  that  are  known.  The  first  one — the  withdraw- 
al— is  an  art  to  be  acquired  by  the  husband.  It  is  a  plan 
which  every  person  of  good  breeding  should  adopt  for  its 
cleanliness  alone,  if  for  no  other  reason.  Once  habituated 
to  this  precaution  while  enjoying  the  nuptial  bed,  you  will 


42  PRECOCIOUS    SEXUAL    INTERCOURSE. 

wonder  how  rational  beings  can  pursue  a  different  course. 
It  is  indeed  a  refinement  of  social  intercourse — a  triumph 
of  mind  which  thus  controls  even  the  laws  and  instincts 
of  our  nature ! 

EFFECTS   OF   TOO  EARLY   SEXUAL   INTERCOURSE. 

One  of  the  greatest  evils  to  mankind  is  a  too  free  sexual 
indulgence  by  young  men  and  boys.  It  not  only  injures 
their  vital  powers,  but  affects  their  intellects.  Parents 
should  watch  their  boys  to  observe  whether  they  are  of 
amorous  temperament.  If  they  are  found  to  be  so,  a  pru- 
dent person  can  find  means  to  persuade  or  prevent  their 
indulgence  of  sexual  passion.  If  a  boy  is  allowed  free  and 
habitual  intercourse  with  females  before  he  has  attained 
his  growth,  it  will  not  only  prevent  the  full  development 
of  his  body,  but  also  of  his  intellect.  This  is  a  well  known 
fact  in  physiology ;  and  by  this  very  means  many  youths, 
who  would  otherwise  become  distinguished,  have  settled 
down  into  mediocrity,  with  scarcely  sufficient  energy  of 
character  to  earn  a  livelihood.  In  a  certain  family  in  one 
of  the  country  towns  on  the  Hudson  River,  three  sons  were 
born  -  The  two  oldest  afterwards  became  distinguished 
men.  It  was  a  family  that  inherited  naturally  the  fine 
talents  of  their  father,  combined  with  the  extraordinary 
robust  and  nervous  energy  of  the  mother.  It  was  impos- 
sible that  such  a  couple  could  produce  other  than  intel- 
lectual and  vigorous  offspring.  The  third  son,  up  to  the 
age  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years,  promised  to  be  the  flower 
of  the  family.  His  education  was  progressing  favorably. 
He  was  the  pride  of  his  parents.  Years  rolled  along,  and 
it  seemed  as  though  the  boy  stood  still  at  thirteen  or  four- 
teen. He  was  amiable,  and  learned  his  lessons  well  enough, 
but  all  the  energy  and  fire  of  youth  seemed  to  have  van- 
ished. He  did  not  care  to  join  in  the  manly  sports  of  his 
elder  brothers,  but  in  a  listless  and  dreamy  mood  preferred 
to  stay  at  home.     His  parenis  began  to  have  fears  for  his 


ITS   EFFECTS  UPON    A   BOY.  43 

health,  though  he  did  not  complain.  The  father  finally 
took  him  to  New  York,  and  consulted  a  physician  of  emi- 
nence. The  doctor  asked  some  questions  relative  to  his 
habits,  but  the  simple  and  candid  answers  of  the  lad  did 
not  lead  to  anything  explaining  the  real  cause  of  his  mal- 
ady. At  parting,  the  physician  said  to  his  father,  that  if 
the  lad  lived  in  New  York,  he  should  pronounce  his  case 
one  of  too  early  sexual  indulgence,  unless  he  practiced 
the  silent  vice  of  Onanism.  uAre  there  no  females  in 
your  neighborhood  with  whom  the  lad  could  by  any  possi- 
bility associate  ?"  inquired  the  doctor.  u  He  never  goes  in 
company  at  all,"  was  the  reply.  "What  servants  have 
you  ?"  "  Two  excellent  girls  who  have  been  years  in  the 
family — the  idea  of  an  illicit  association  there  is  prepos- 
terous.n  "  His  mother  is  positive  that  he  does  not  practice 
the  solitary  habit  ?"  "  Yes !"  "  Well,  I  can  do  nothing 
for  him ;  but  yet  I  would  like  to  see  the  boy  again.  With 
your  permission  I  will  run  up  to  your  place  in  a  week  or 
two."     u  We  shall  be  happy  to  see  you." 

The  doctor  found  out  the  secret  of  the  boy's  malady 
within  twenty-four  hours  after  his  arrival.  He  had  co- 
habited constantly  with  one  of  the  maids  from  the  age  of 
twelve  and  a  half  years  until  he  was  sixteen  !  The  lad 
was  saved  only  because  of  his  youth.  He  partially  out- 
grew this  severe  shock  to  his  nervous  system ;  but  yet 
never  fully  developed  the  intellectual  powers  with  which 
Nature  had  endowed  him.  Young  men  who  marry  too 
soon  are  in  the  same  category.  There  is  not  one  in  a  do- 
zen who  is  fully  developed  even  at  twenty-one  years  of  age. 

The  case  of  the  son  of  Napoleon  I.,  Emperor  of  the 
French,  was  similar  to  that  above  related.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  or  sixteen  he  began  his  career  of  sexual  indulgence, 
which  ended  his  life  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
He,  too,  was  an  amiable,  inoffensive  and  studious  youth — 
beloved  by  his  grandfather  and  by  the  whole  Austrian 
Court ;  and  though  the  son  of  the  most  enargetic  man  that 


44  SEXUAL  ABUSE, 

modern  times  lias  produced,  yet,  from  his  quiet  and  effemi- 
nate life,  lie  scarcely  attracted  the  least  public  attention. 

The  present  Sultan  of  Turkey  is  a  living  evidence  of  the 
effects  of  too  early  indulgence  in  sexual  intercourse.  He 
is  the  son  of  a  brave  and  vigorous  soldier,  and  with  proper 
culture  would  doubtless  have  become  a  great  and  good 
man.  Abdul  Medjid  has  been  over  twenty  years  on  the 
Turkish  throne,  and  has  hihterto  impressed  those  who 
came  in  contact  with  him  simply  as  a  weak  and  indolent 
young  man,  with  good  intentions,  but  with  neither  nerve 
nor  energy  to  carry  them  out.  It  was  generally  believed, 
and  with  good  reason,  that  in  his  case,  as  in  that  of  so 
many  others  of  his  race,  the  sensual  indulgence  begun  in 
his  boyhood  had  destroyed  every  trace  of  masculine  deci- 
sion. No  one  who  watched  his  dreamy,  listless  expression, 
and  saw  his  relaxed  muscles,  and  lolling  attitude  as  he 
rode  on  horseback  through  the  streets,  could  help  feeling 
that  he  reigned  rather  in  virtue  of  foreign  support  than  of 
his  own  abiltiy  to  command  obedience. 

results  of  sexual  abuses. 

It  was  not  our  intention  in  this  work  to  speak  of  Onan- 
ism and  Masturbation.  These  unnatural  practices  are  so 
generally  known  to  be  destructive  to  the  sexual  powers, 
and  of  health,  that  young  people  scarcely  need  advice  on 
the  subject.  But  it  may  be  interesting  to  know  the  results 
of  such  practices,  and  of  the  abuse  of  the  sexual  organs 
by  over  indulgence.  Some  constitutions  experience  a  sort 
of  consumption  which  arises  from  the  dorsal  portion  of 
the  spinal  marrow.  No  fever  accompanies  it,  the  appetite 
continues  good,  but  the  patient  gradually  wastes  away. 
Women  thus  affected  describe  a  crawling  sensation  down 
the  spine.  Men  lose  their  seminal  fluid  in  their  urine, 
having  a  ringing  in  the  ears,  a  weakness  of  vision,  near- 
sightedness, and  their  intellectual  capacities  are  weakened 
and  confused.     In  short,  the  whole  nervous  system  is  gen- 


\ 


FCETUS  AT   SIX   MONTHS. 


AND   WHAT  IT   LEADS  TO.  45 

erally  prostrated.  Excess  of  venery  is  likewise  the  first 
exciting  cause  of  many  painful  diseases,  such  as  rheuma- 
tism, neuralgia,  epilepsy,  convulsions,  &c.  Young  married 
people  are  apt  to  indulge  too  much  in  sexual  intercourse, 
and  many  a  man  lives  a  life  of  misery  from  ill  health  ori- 
ginated in  this  manner.  Women  are  not  affected  so  much 
by  over  indulgence  as  by  Masturbation.  Delicacy  not  al- 
lowing an  ardent  woman  to  tell  her  husband  of  her  needs, 
she  is  apt  to  relieve  herself  hy  this  unnatural  practice. 
There  are,  however,  but  few  women  who  crave  sexual  in- 
tercourse. The  excess  is  generally  on  the  part  of  the  man. 
Moderation  in  sexual  pleasures  is  the  key  to  health  in  a 
great  many  cases  where  the  patient  is  hopelessly  lamenting 
his  sad  fate.  Sometimes  a  man  will  indulge  to  excess  with- 
out experiencing  much  inconvenience,  when  suddenly  a  fit 
of  palsy  or  epilepsy  prostrates  him,  and  leaves  him  a  hope- 
less invalid  for  life.  I  remember  an  interesting  case  in 
point.  A  man  of  robust  health  and  strong  sexual  powers, 
married  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  From  that  time  until  the 
age  of  forty-five,  he  lived  temperately,  was  regular  in  his 
habits,  and  never  knew  a  day  of  sickness.  He  had  always 
the  reputation  of  being  fond  of  a  variety  of  women — 
indeed,  this  seemed  to  be  the  one  passion  of  his  life,  for  he 
dissipated  a  handsome  property  in  settling  crim.  con.  suits, 
and  paying  for  bastard  children.  As  he  advanced  in  years 
his  passion  seemed  to  increase,  and  it  was  saicl  that  he  sup- 
ported five  different  mistresses  at  the  time  of  the  occur- 
rence of  the  event  I  am  now  about  to  relate.  One  day 
when  he  was  writing  a  letter,  he  felt  a  peculiar  twitching 
of  the  forefinger  with  which  he  held  his  pen.  This  twitch- 
ing sensation  increased  so  much  that  he  called  on  me  for 
advice.  I  replied,  "  Let  the  women  alone,  for  that  is  a 
symptom  of  palsy."  Within  two  days  thereafter  he  was 
struck  down  and  lost  the  use  of  his  hands,  his  right  arm, 
and  partially  of  his  right  side.  Ten  years  have  passed, 
and  this  man,  who  had  previously  enjoyed  excellent  health, 


46  UNNATURAL    POSITIONS 

is  still  as  helpless  as  on  the  first  clay  of  his  misfortune.  He 
has  consulted  distinguished  physicians — American,  French 
and  German — but  there  is  no  help  for  him.  All  agree  that 
relief  is  impossible,  but  that  he  may  live  for  many  years 
an  imbecile,  palsied  man. 

To  sum  up  :  If  you  wish  to  maintain  your  intellectual 
faculties  intact — to  enjoy  good  health — to  be  cheerful  in 
the  decline  of  life — to  keep  your  strength,  your  imagina- 
tion, your  memory,  and  your  eye-sight  unimpaired,  refrain 
from  too  frequent  intercourse  with  women.  Once  a  week 
is  quite  often  enough  for  this  indulgence,  and  more  than 
twice  a  week  is  positively  hurtful.  Some  men  may  sneer 
at  this  advice,  perhaps ;  but  to  such  we  say,  look  back  upon 
your  life.  Are  you  as  perfect,  both  physically  and  intel- 
lectually, as  you  would  have  been  had  you  curbed  your 
sexual  desires? 

POSITION   DURING   SEXUAL   INTERCOURSE. 

There  is  one  phase  of  sexual  matters  that  physiological 
writers  seldom  allude  to,  but  which  should  be  understood 
by  married  people,  viz. :  the  position  of  their  bodies  during 
the  nuptial  act.  Any  unnatural  performance  of  this  act 
is  apt  to  impair  the  health  of  the  female,  and  many  women 
have  been  seriously  injured  and  rendered  miserable  for  life 
by  the  beastliness  of  their  husbands  in  this  respect.  Un- 
natural positions  will  cause  derangements  and  bearing 
down  of  the  womb,  produce  fluor  albus,  or  whites,  and 
sometimes  will  originate  tumors  and  fungi  in  the  private 
parts.  A  woman  of  delicate  mould  and  constitution  might 
be  fatally  injured  in  this  manner;  and  no  female,  however 
robust,  can  enjoy  sexual  intercourse  except  in  the  position 
intended  by  Nature.  For  a  full  and  perfect  enjoyment  of 
sexual  pleasures,  there  must  be  first  a  mutual  fondness  or 
sentimental  feeling,  called  love.  Where  this  does  not  exist, 
the  married  pair  should,  in  their  associations,  endeavor  to 
be  in  as  good  humor  as  possible,  and  to  tolerate  each  other's 


IX   SEXUAL  INTERCOURSE.  47 

caresses  with  the  hope  that  love  may  grow  between  them. 
Marriages  have  occurred  where  the  bride  felt  an  antipathy 
almost  amounting  to  disgust  towards  the  embraces  of  her 
husband,  but  afterwards,  on  a  ciose  intimacy  and  free  ac- 
quaintance, became  not  only  reconciled,  but  really  fond  of 
him.  Delicacy  and  watchfulness  on  the  part  of  the  hus- 
band will  often  enable  him  to  make  himself  agreeable  to  a 
woman  who  at  first  has  no  sympathy  with  him  whatever. 
From  the  peculiar  organization  of  females,  there  are  times 
when  a  husband's  caresses  may  be  unpleasant  and  irksome 
even  to  a  loving  wife :  if  he  is  reasonable  and  conscien- 
cious,  he  will  not  fail  to  observe  this,  and  will  abstain  from 
intruding  on  her  privicy  on  such  occasions. 

A  man  who  will  force  his  caresses  upon  his  wife  can  be 
ranked  only  with  "  the  brutes  that  perish.1'  Of  this  class 
also  are  those  who  ugo  in  unto  their  wives"  after  the 
manner  of  brutes.  The  natural  position  to  which  we  have 
alluded  suggests  itself  to  every  married  pair  wTho  possess 
the  most  remote  particle  of  love  for  each  other.  But  to 
make  it  unmistakable,  we  would  say,  that  the  female 
should  lie  upon  her  back,  with  her  legs  straight  down — or 
if  the  legs  are  raised,  they  should  be  but  slightly  elevated. 
All  other  positions  are  unnatural  and  unhealthy.  I  could 
illustrate  this  fact  by  several  cases  in  point,  but  the  details 
are  too  disgusting.  Suffice  it  then  to  say,  that  I  have 
known  females  suffering  from  painful  diseases  caused  by 
sexual  connection  in  a  standing  position — in  a  position 
where  their  partners  approached  them  from  behind,  and 
also  in  one  case  where  the  woman  was  forced  or  persuaded 
to  lie  on  her  back  with  her  knees  up  against  her  chest. 
No  female  can  desire  such  intercourse  as  this,  because  she 
cannot  enjoy  it.  It  is  therefore  the  libidinous  antics  of  her 
companion  that  compels  her  to  it.  Very  few  men  of  decent 
breeding  require  the  caution  I  have  here  given,  but  if  there 
be  half-a-dozen  who  profit  by  it,  I  shall  be  compensated  for 
thus  alluding  to  a  delicate  subject. 


48  INTELLECTUAL  CAPACITIES. 

DISPOSITION  AND  INTELLECT — HOW  FORMED. 

It  is  wisely  ordered  by  Nature  that  genius,  and  a  high 
order  of  intellect,  shall  not,  as  a  general  rule,  descend  to 
children.  If  mankind  could  impart  to  offspring  an  intel- 
lectual superiority,  we  should  probably  have  too  many 
geniuses  in  the  world,  and  too  few  workers.  The  animal 
propensities,  the  peculiar  disposition,  the  various  passions, 
the  form,  features,  &c. — these,  and  other  peculiarities  of 
parents  are  always  transmitted  to  their  children ;  but  that 
lofty,  soul-inspiring  sentimentality  which  enlarges  the  rea- 
soning faculties  and  bestows  mental  distinction  upon  its  re- 
cipients, seems  to  be  a  peculiar  gift  from  the  Deity  itself. 

Some  physiologists  assert  that  Nature  does  not  endow 
the  children  of  distinguished  men  so  bountifully  as  those 
of  less  exalted  capacities,  and  assign  as  a  reason  that  great 
minds  have  their  weaknesses  and  their  follies,  which  are 
apt  to  show  themselves  in  a  marked  manner  at  the  mo- 
ment they  are  begetting  their  children.  I  do  not  endorse 
this  doctrine,  but  suspect  that  men  are  beholden  rather  to 
their  mothers  than  to  their  paternal  parents  for  whatever 
intellectual  gifts  God,  in  his  wisdom,  has  bestowed  upon 
them.  A  healthy,  well  developed,  and  naturally  intelli- 
gent woman  will  have  smart  and  intellectual  children,  even 
though  her  husband  may  be  a  ninny.  If  you  want  intelli- 
gent children,  then,  look  you  out  a  wife  who  has  a  soul 
above  street  yarn  and  love  stories.  But  should  you  select 
the  best  woman  from  a  thousand,  you  will  scarcely  find  in 
her  a  wife  capable  of  breeding  you  a  very  moderate  genius. 
It  is  thought  by  some  people  that  the  state  of  the  intellect  at 
the  moment  of  the  nuptial  act  marks  the  mind  of  the  child. 
I  do  not  believe  this ;  for  if  a  crop  of  geniuses  could  be 
raised  by  minds  specially  tutored  for  the  occasion,  who 
doubts  but  that  the  world  would  be  full  of  them  ? 

In  looking  for  a  mother  for  his  children,  a  man  should 
seek  a  woman  of  different  temperament  from  himself.    If 


THE   TEMPERAMENTS.  49 

"he  is  lymphatic  and  good  naturcd,  let  him  find  a  wife  who 
is  nervous  and  irritable ;  and  vice  versa.  If  he  he  of  a  sandy 
complexion,  or  fair-haired,  with  blue  eyes,  let  him  choose 
one  of  those  luscious  brunettes,  with  flashing  black  eyes, 
and  a  resolution  as  firm  as  a  rock.  On  the  contrary,  if  he 
be  dark  complexioned,  impatient  and  passionate,  let  him 
sacrifice  and  enslave  a  mild  and  blue-eyed  blonde  of  the 
cold  North.  Choose  you  always  a  woman  of  intellect, 
and  if  with  that,  you  have  one  of  a  temperament  and  com- 
plexion opposite  to  your  own,  your  children  will  be  distin- 
guished for  something — they  will  not  live  a  life  of  drudgery 
and  dependence — and  they  may  be  geniuses.  The  selection 
of  a  conjugal  partner  is  one  of  the  most  important  events 
of  life,  in  either  man  or  woman.  Too  little  attention  is 
generally  paid  to  it. 

THE   TEMPERAMENTS — HOW  DISTINGUISHED. 

In  the  course  of  this  treatise  we  have  alluded  to  the 
Temperaments  of  different  individuals,  and  it  may  there- 
fore be  interesting  to  describe  them.  A  person  of  a  Lym- 
phatic temperament  has  a  languid,  good-natured  look, 
sleepy  eyes,  and  the  face  is  soft,  round  and  full.  A  San- 
guine temperament  is  represented  by  an  earnest,  anxious 
countenance,  large  intelligent  eyes,  prominent  nose,  robust 
health,  and  a  strong  constitution.  The  Bilious  tempera- 
ment usually  presents  a  strong  marked  countenance,  yel- 
low skin,  bulging  eyes,  projecting  lips,  full  muscular  habit, 
and  not  very  fleshy.  Persons  of  Nervous  temperament 
are  usually  (though  not  always)  thin  and  spare :  their  fea- 
tures are  firm  set,  lines  of  countenance  harsh,  constitution 
delicate,  and  intellectual  qualities  of  the  first  order. 

Men  of  genius  may  be  ranked  as  follows :  Sanguine-ner- 
vous are  usually  great  writers,  divines,  musicians,  or  artists. 
Sanguine-bilious,  great  generals,  politicians,  statesmen,  in- 
ventors, business  men,  or  distinguished  in  any  calling  re- 
quiring much  energv  and  industry.  Sanguine-lymphatic 
4 


50  THE   TEMPERAMENTS ; 

are  frequently  persons  of  great  talent,  enterprise,  and  dis- 
tinction, and  are  generally  long  lived;  but  they  seldom 
make  any  considerable  display  of  their  abilities,  or  become 
men  of  mark. 

Lazy,  inefficient  and  irresolute  people,  are  in  most  cases 
constitutionally  so  from  a  lack  of  sanguinity  in  their  tem- 
peraments. Some  men  and  women  are  so  constituted  that 
they  never  can  rise  above  drudges  in  society ;  for  if  they 
are  industrious  they  have  no  confidence  in- themselves 

THE   NATURAL  LAWS    OF   MARRIAGE.   AND   OF   THE 
TEMPERAMENTS. 

It  is  well  known  that  marriages  between  near  relatives 
produce  unhealthy  and  imperfect  children,  but  the  causes 
of  such  a  result  are  not  generally  understood.  Thes* 
causes  extend  far  beyond  the  circle  of  a  family,  for  it  is 
quite  as  improper  for  two  persons  of  the  same  tempera- 
ment to  marry,  as  it  would  be  for  a  brother  and  a  sister. 
The  laws  of  the  Temperaments  of  the  human  family  may 
be  enumerated  as  follows : 

1st.  When  both  parties  to  a  marriage  are  constitutionally 
the  same,  there  will  probably  be  no  children. 

2d.  The  vital  elements  are  incompatible  with  each  other, 
and  if  children  are  born  to  parents  who  are  alike  in  this 
respect,  they  will  probably  be  idiotic,  or  rachitic* 

3d.  When  parties  who  marry  are  nearly  alike — if  their 
temperaments  differ  only  in  part — they  will  have  children 
who  may  live  to  adult  age,  but  who  will  then  probably  die 
of  tubercular  phthisis  (consumption).  In  illustration  of 
this,  I  have  known  whole  families  of  children  to  be  taken 
off  by  consumption  between  the  ages  of  twenty-two  and 
twenty-seven  years,  where  this  disease  had  not  previously 
existed  in  the  families  of  the  parents  or  their  progenitors. 

4th.  If  the  constitutions  of  a  married  couple  assimilate 
to  the  extent  of  one-half,  their  children  will  be  apt  to  die 

*  Softening'  and  distortion  of  the  bones. 


THEIK   INFLUENCE   ON   OFFSPRING.  51 

before  the  first  seven  years.  The  diseases  of  such  children 
are  tubercles  in  the  glands  of  the  intestines,  or  in  the  mem- 
branes of  the  brain. 

5th.  When  persons  many  who  are  alike  in  tempera- 
ment, and  whose  constitutions  materially  differ,  a  majority 
of  their  children  will  be  still-born,  and  none  will  probably 
live  to  be  two  years  old. 

6 th.  When  one  of  the  parties  to  a  marriage  is  exclusively 
vital,  and  the  other  similar,  but  of  a  nervous  and  melan- 
choly turn,  the  children  will  generally  be  promising. 

7th.  To  produce  smart  and  healthy  children,  one  of  the 
parties  should  be  of  sanguine-bilious  temperament,  with 
good  vitality,  and  the  other  of  a  quiet,  lymphatic  turn. 

Scrofulous  forms  of  disease  result  exclusively  from  mar- 
riages illustrated  by  the  first  five  laws  above  given.  More 
than  half  the  children  that  die  are  those  of  constitutionally 
incompatible  parents.  People  who  live  in  health  to  a  good 
old  age,  owe  more  to  their  parents  giving  them  a  sound 
constitution  than  to  any  efforts  of  their  own  to  preserve 
health.  So  many  diseases  are  traced  by  skillful  physicians 
to  improper  marriages,  that  the  study  of  Physiology,  and 
of  the  human  temperaments,  seems  to  be  as  necessary  to 
young  people  as  the  most  common  branches  of  education. 

Fortunately  for  the  human  race,  marriages  are  oftener 
contracted  from  instinct  than  from  motives  of  policy ;  and 
individuals  of  opposite  temperaments  arc  apt  to  experience 
that  natural  attraction  towards  each  other  that  results  in 
marriage.  But  marriages  of  interest  are  still  occurring  suf- 
ficiently frequent  to  fill  our  lunatic,  idiot,  and  deaf-and-dumb 
asylums,  and  we  are  glad  to  notice  that  the  subject  is  at- 
tracting attention,  and  that  new  laws  are  proposed  to  pre- 
vent the  marriage  of  blood  relatives. 

It  is  also  proper  to  state  that  there  should  not  be  an  ex- 
treme disproportion  in  stature  between  a  married  pair.  A 
delicate^  slightly  formed,  small  woman,  whose  pelvis  is 
small,  should  not  marry  a  large  robust  man.    If  she  does, 


52  PHYSICAL   EFFECTS   OF   MARRIAGE. 

her  offspring  will  be  too  large  for  her  to  bring  into  the 
world  without  much  suffering,  and  sometimes  mutilation, 
and  destruction  of  health.  This  is  also  the  fate  of  many 
girls  of  small  stature  who  become  mothers  at  too  early  an 
age,  and  before  the  hip  and  other  bones,  which  form  the 
cavity  through  which  the  infant  comes  into  the  world,  is 
sufficiently  developed. 

Early  marriages  (if  not  too  early)  are  better  than  late 
ones,  for  the  natural  state  of  mankind,  after  puberty,  is  a 
rational  association  of  the  two  sexes.  Woman  was  adorn- 
ed by  Providence  with  her  graces  and  charms  to  delight 
the  opposite  sex,  and  she  possesses  those  graces  in  full  per- 
fection only  while  she  is  young.  At  that  period  she  is 
indued  with  power  to  give  and  to  inherit  a  sort  of  terres- 
trial paradise,  to  multiply  her  species,  and  to  become  ma- 
tron, queen,  and  mother.  Her  early  ripeness  proves  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  Providence  that  mankind,  while 
young,  should  settle  in  matrimony,  and  exercise  those  gifts 
which  reproduce  their  equals.  In  many  young  people  the 
marriage  state,  when  properly  enjoyed,  augments  the  en- 
ergies of  the  sanguineous  system ;  the  distended  arteries 
carry  warmth  and  animation  through  the  body ;  the  mus- 
cles become  vigorous ;  the  walk  is  more  free ;  the  voice 
firmer — in  short,  both  men  and  women  by  this  means  im- 
prove their  health,  strength  and  beauty,  and  assist  the  de- 
velopment of  their  intellectual  faculties. 

ON   THE   INFLUENCE    OF   VITAL   FORCE. 

The  base  of  the  brain  is  the  source  and  foundation  of 
motion,  thinking,  and  feeling  in  the  human  body.  The 
breadth  of  it  indicates  the  vigor,  and  its  depth  the  tenacity 
of  life.  Men  generally  have  the  base  of  the  brain  more 
developed  than  women,  and  as  a  consequence  exhibit,  in 
both  body  and  mind,  more  of  what  is  called  force  of  cha- 
racter. A  man  whose  brain  is  very  full  at  the  base,  sel- 
dom, if  ever,  suffers  from  chronic  forms  of  disease,  and 


WANT  OF  VITAL  FORCE.  53 

never  dies  from  consumption,  except  in  old  age  when  the 
brain  is  decayed.  His  ailings  will  be  confined  to  inflam- 
matory diseases,  gout  and  rheumatism.  Men  of  this  class 
are  never  drudges.  They  are  usually  energetic,  either  for 
good  or  evil,  and  are  more  apt  to  be  leaders  of  their  fellow- 
men  than  otherwise.  Vital  force  is  as  necessary  to  the  pro- 
motion of  health  as  pure  blood.  Those  who  are  deficient 
of  it  sooner  or  later  become  afflicted  with  some  functional 
form  of  disease.  Intellectual  men  of  this  class  usually 
pursue  the  profession  of  a  minister,  a  physician  or  a  col- 
lege professor,  though  they  make  very  indifferent  doctors 
or  teachers.  They  do  not  possess  sufficient  force  or  energy 
of  character  to  make  their  talents  and  worth  appreciated 
by  the  multitude.  The  trustees  of  schools  and  colleges 
employ  them  without  making  any  inquiries  as  to  their 
ability  to  govern  youth,  and  the  consequence  is  frequent 
difficulties  and  fruitless  disputes  with  their  pupils. 

TENACITY   OF   LIFE   AND   LONGEVITY. 

The  depth  of  the  base  of  the  brain  is  a  true  index  of 
vital  tenacity,  or  duration  of  life  in  any  individual.  This 
depth  varies  in  different  persons  from  less  than  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  up  to  an  inch  and  a  quarter.45"  A  full  inch  in 
an  individual  fifty  years  of  age  indicates  a  life  of  eighty  or 
ninety  years.  One-half  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  shows 
tha£  though  the  person  may  live  many  years,  yet  he  has 
not  the  vital  power  to  resist  formidable  assaults  of  disease. 
And  those  persons  whose  base  of  brain  presents  a  depth 
of  less  than  half  an  inch,  must  be  exceedingly  careful  of 
their  health,  and  may  expect  to  die  from  the  most  trivial 
cause.  On  the  contrary,  those  with  three-fourths  of  an 
inch,  and  above  it,  will  probably  survive  the  most  power- 

*  Take  a  piece  of  twine  and  pass  it  from  the  outer  corns  r  of  each  eye 
around  the  back  of  the  head,  letting:  it  touch  the  most  projecting  protu- 
berance on  the  hind  part  of  the  skull.  The  distance  between  this  line 
and  the  ear-hole  gives  the  depth  alluded  to. 


54  SYMPTOMS   OF  PREGNANCY, 

ful  attacks  of  disease.  The  base  of  the  brain,  being  the 
seat  of  vitality  in  all  animals,  the  exact  size  of  it  shows 
the  quantum  of  life  possessed  by  any  individual.  Heredi- 
tary diseases  may  be  excepted,  in  certain  cases. 

HOW   TO   DETECT  PREGNANCY. 

Almost  every  married  woman  considers  the  stoppage 
of  her  usual  monthly  turns  a  warning  that  she  is  in  the 
family  way ;  and  this  will  hold  true  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten.  Nevertheless,  in  some  women  the  menses  continue 
for  a  couple  of  months  or  more  after  impregnation  takes 
place.  So,  also,  there  are  many  other  causes  for  the  sup- 
pression of  the  menses,  and  the  failure  of  the  monthly  turn 
is  not,  therefore,  conclusive  evidence  of  impregnation. 
Other  peculiarities  may  be  noticed  which  will  go  to  con- 
firm the  fact,  and  one  is  an  enlargement  of  the  neck.  Sin- 
gular as  this  may  appear,  it  is  true :  and  some  married  ladies 
keep  the  exact  measure  of  their  necks  so  as  to  be  able  to 
detect  this  sign.  Pains  similar  to  colic,  fainting  fits,  shud- 
dering and  creeping  of  the  skin,  longings  for  unusual  food 
and  drinks,  loss  of  appetite,  morning  sickness,  fretfulness 
and  peevishness,  hysteria,  and  a  dozen  other  changes  in 
the  feelings,  temper  or  desires  of  a  woman,  are  strong  pre- 
sumptive signs  of  conception. 

The  breasts,  being  always  in  sympathy  with  the  womb, 
usually  begin  to  enlarge  a  little,  the  nipples  become  hard, 
and  their  color  turns  from  the  usual  delicate  pink  to  a 
chestnut  brown,  with  little  dots  or  pimples  on  the  circle. 
This  alteration  in  the  nipple  must  be  closely  observed  to 
indicate  positive  pregnancy,  as  it  frequently  becomes  dark 
from  other  causes.  The  hue  occasioned  by  conception  is 
peculiar  to  itself,  and  is  a  sure  indication  that  gestation  has 
commenced. 

Soon  after  conception,  in  some  females,  the  face  and  eye- 
lids will  swell;  and  many  girls  are  suspected  from  this 
cause  alone  by  their  more   experienced   sisters.      Others 


PCETUS    AT   THIRTEEN    WEEKS. 


AND   PHENOMENA  ATTENDING  IT.  55 

are  warned  of  their  condition  by  flying  pains,  palpitations, 
&c,  and  by  pains  at  the  top  of  the  head.  If  the  urine  be 
kept  in  a  clean  vessel  for  several  days,  and  a  white  scum 
arises  at  the  top,  this  is  considered  by  some  physicians  as 
conclusive  evidence  of  pregnancy. 

When  a  woman  has  become  pregnant,  the  white  line 
on  the  abdomen,  extending  from  the  navel  to  the  pubis, 
becomes  darker,  and  the  navel  itself  swells  out  a  little. 
The  mucus  membrane  which  lines  the  Vagina,  which  is 
usually  of  a  delicate  rose  color,  turns  blue  or  purple. 

The  above  are  the  most  prominent  and  conclusive  evi- 
dences of  conception  during  the  first  three  months,  though 
some  of  them  may  not  be  experienced  until  a  later  period. 
At  the  end  of  thirteen  weeks  the  enlargement  of  the 
womb  begins  to  develop  itself  so  as  to  leave  no  doubt 
whatever  of  the  interesting  situation  of  the  lady.  In  some 
cases  even  this  enlargement  is  the  result  of  other  causes ; 
and  should  a  doubt  exist,  an  examination  by  a  physician, 
or  any  experienced  person  who  can  feel  the  mouth  of  the 
womb  with  a  finger,  will  determine  the  state  of  the  case. 
The  mouth  closes  and  contracts  together  immediately  after 
conception,  and  this  condition  of  it  can  be  easily  detected 
if  the  finger  be  applied  in  the  right  place.  If  the  mouth 
of  the  womb  is  not  closed,  then  the  enlargement  is  surely 
from  other  causes 

LABOR  AND   CHILD-BIRTH. 

A  healthy  and  natural  birth  usually  takes  place  after 
the  fifteenth  day  of  the  ninth  month  of  pregnancy.  It  may 
be  delayed  until  the  end  of  the  month,  but  is  seldom  so 
protracted.  Shortly  before  labor  is  to  commence,  the  belly 
sinks,  and  the  hitherto  snug-fitting  dress  will  become  loose. 
This  is  caused  by  the  descent  of  the*womb  into  the  bottom 
of  the  belly.  The  motions  and  weight  of  the  child  are 
also  felt  to  be  lower  than  usual,  and  if  in  a  natural  posi- 
tion, the  head  will  fall  down  to  the  orifice  of  the  womb, 


56  LABOR  AND  CHILD  -  BIKTH  ; 

and  press  upon  it.  This  drives  forward  the  membranes 
which  restrain  the  water  at  the  orifice,  and  at,  the  proper 
moment  they  break,  and  labor  then  commences. 

Labor  is  caused  by  involuntary  contractions  of  the  ute- 
rus and  abdominal  muscles.  By  their  force  the  liquor 
amnii  flows  out,  the  head  of  the  foetus  is  engaged  in  the 
pelvis,  it  goes  through  it,  and  soon  passes  out  by  the  valve, 
the  folds  of  which  disappear.  These  different  phenomena 
take  place  in  succession,  and  continue  a  certain  time :  they 
are  accompanied  with  pains  more  or  less  severe,  with 
swelling  and  softening  of  the  soft  parts  of  the  pelvis  and 
external  genital  parts,  and  with  an  abundant  mucous  secre- 
tion in  the  cavity  of  the  vagina.  All  these  circumstances, 
each  in  its  own  way,  favor  the  passage  of  the  foetus. 

The  precursory  signs  of  labor  are  as  follows :  Two  or 
three  days  before  it  is  to  commence,  a  flow  of  mucus  takes 
place  from  the  vagina,  and  the  external  genital  parts  swell 
and  become  softer :  it  is  the  same  with  the  ligaments  that 
unite  the  bones  of  the  pelvis ;  the  mouth  of  the  womb 
flattens,  its  opening  is  enlarged,  its  edges  become  thinner, 
and  slight  pains,  known  under  the  name  of  flying  pains, 
are  felt  in  the  loins  and  abdomen.  At  the  next  stage  pains 
begin  to  be  felt  in  the  lower  part  of  the  back,  or  lumbar 
region,  and  tend  towards  the  womb,  or  the  rectum :  these 
occur  at  intervals  of  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes,  and  each  is 
accompanied  with  contraction  of  the  womb,  and  tension 
of  its  neck,  which  begins  to  open.  If  a  finger  is  now  in- 
troduced into  the  vagina,  a  considerable  tumor  may  be 
felt,  which  is  a  protrusion  of  the  membrane  coverings  of 
the  foetus,  containing  the  first  waters.  The  pains  gradually 
become  stronger  up  to  the  time  when  the  membranes  break, 
and  labor  actually  begins. 

The  uterus  now  contracts  on  itself,  and  is  applied  to  the 
surface  of  the  foetus.  Soon  the  pains  and  contractions  of 
the  uterus  increase  considerably,  and  are  accompanied  by 
the  contraction  of  the  abdominal  muscles.     The  woman 


THEIR  PROGRESS  AND   MANAGEMENT.  57 

should  favor  this  state  of  things  by  making  all  the  muscu 
lar  efforts  in  her  power,  (straining.)  As  the  labor  pro- 
gresses, her  pulse  will  become  stronger  and  more  frequent ; 
her  face  becomes  animated ;  her  eyes  grow  brighter ;  her 
whole  body  is  in  extreme  agitation ;  perspiration  flows  in 
abundance ;  until  the  head  of  the  child  descends  into  the 
lower  strait  of  the  pelvis. 

At  this  stage  there  is  a  discharge  of  whitish  matter  from 
the  vagina,  and  pains  occur  which  extend  from  the  small 
of  the  back,  or  loins,  and  the  groins,  down  towards  the 
front,  or  private  parts ;  and  sometimes  the  membranes  will 
even  protrude  through  the  external  opening.  Presently  a 
strong  pain  comes  on,  crack  go  the  membranes,  the  liquor 
amnii  gashes  out  with  a  rush,  deluging  the  bed.  After 
this  there  are  longer  intervals  between  the  pains,  and  on 
the  midwife's  introducing  her  finger,  she  can  feel  the  head 
of  the  child.  As  the  pains  increase  in  intensity,  the  pa- 
tient is  apt  to  scream,  though  some  women  of  firmness 
will  suppress  their  feelings :  she  lays  hold  of  a  towel, 
which  is  commonly  fastened  to  the  becVpost  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  bears  clown  with  all  her  might :  her  pulse  now  is 
rapid,  and  her  skin  is  hot ;  the  process  still  goes  bravely 
on ;  the  pains  are  now  more  frequent,  stronger  and  lasting. 

The  head  of  the  child  now  gradually  descends  lower 
and  lower  in  the  vagina  until  it  presses  on  the  perinceum, 
or  outer  edge  of  the  private  part  adjoining  the  anus.  In 
this  stage  of  the  labor  an  inexperienced  midwife  would 
think  that  a  few  pains  more  would  expel  the  child,  but 
although  the  head  rests  upon  the  perinceum,  and  shows 
itself  at  the  external  orifice,  yet  it  may  be  some  hours  be- 
fore it  is  expelled,  more  especially  if  it  is  a  first  child ;  but 
if  the  second  or  third,  half-a-dozen  more  pains  will  gene- 
rally be  sufficient  to  complete  the  process. 

During  this  time  the  woman  usually  suffers  some  from 
head-ache,  looks  intensely  red  in  the  face,  and  often  expe- 
riences a  trembling  of  the  lower  limbs. 


58  MANAGEMENT  AT  CHILD-BIRTH, 

The  outer  passage  will  now  begin  to  enlarge  gradually, 
and  the  head  appears.  When  it  is  advanced  as  for  as  its 
ears,  it  is  said  to  be  "  in  the  passage."  When  the  birth 
has  advanced  one-third,  the  midwife  may  assist  the  expul- 
sion if  she  chooses,  though  Nature  alone  would  accomplish 
it.  When  the  child  is  born,  the  midwife  should  lay  it  upon 
her  knees,  with  its  face  down,  so  as  to  give  exit  to  the 
mucus,  waters,  &c,  from  the  mouth,  if  any  has  been  im- 
bibed, which  is  most  generally  the  case. 

Now  that  the  child  is  born,  there  is  a  freedom  from  pain 
and  the  mother  feels  rejoiced  at  the  sudden  transition  from 
severe  suffering  to  comparative  ease.  In  about  ten  minutes 
she  again  begins  to  experience  pains,  which  are,  however, 
slight,  or  less  violent  than  before,  in  the  region  of  the  ute- 
rus, coming  and  going  about  every  five  minutes.  On  ex- 
amination, the  accoucheuse  will  find  a  quantity  of  clotted 
blood  expelled,  and  on  passing  up  the  finger  along  the 
cord,  she  will  discover  the  after-birth,  or  placenta,  as  it  is 
called,  forced  into  the  upper  part  of  the  vagina,  If  not 
attached  to  the  womb,  which  is  easily  known  by  carefully 
pulling  at  the  cord,  the  midwife  will  separate  it  gently,  by 
introducing  her  hand.  The  navel-string  must  be  divided 
as  soon  as  the  child  is  born ;  which  may  be  done  with  a 
pair  of  scissors,  having  first  tied  a  string  as  well  on  the 
child's  side  of  the  cord  as  the  mother's,  to  prevent  hemor- 
rhage. The  placenta  being  taken  away,  the  labor  is  now 
over. 

An  hour  after,  let  the  mother  take  a  little  oil'of  sweet 
almonds,  to  ease  the  after  pains ;  and  let  a  poultice  of  oil 
of  sweet  almonds,  and  two  or  three  new-laid  eggs,  be  boil- 
ed together,  and  laid  to  the  parts,  renewing  at  every  six 
hours  for  two  days.  Fifteen  clays  after  the  birth,  the  parts 
may  be  bathed  with  an  astringent  decoction  of  red  roses, 
alum,  or  nut-galls  in  reel  wine,  in  order  to  brace  them 
The  following  is  the  formula  I  usually  employ :  Red-rose- 
leaves,  1  ounce ;   Alum,  2  drams ;    Ordinary  Claret,  half  a 


AND  AFTER  DELIVERY.  59 

pint.  Put  them  into  a  sauce-pan  and  let  them  boil  for  five 
or  ten  minutes.  After  having  stood  for  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  to  cool,  strain,  and  apply  warm  to  the  parts. 

The  above  is  a  brief  description  of  a  healthy  delivery ; 
and  such  are  the  usual  ones.  In  some  cases,  however,  the 
labor  may  be  tedious  and  difficult,  when  the  lower  part  of 
the  belly  must  be  covered  with  a  flannel  cloth  dipped  in  a 
hot  decoction  of  bitter  herbs,  as  tanzy,  hops,  wormwood 
and  catnep,  of  each  a  small  handful,  to  which  put  three 
pints  of  equal  parts  vinegar  and  water ;  boil  for  half  an 
hour  in  a  covered  vessel.  Wring  the  flannel  out  and  apply 
warm  over  the  region  of  the  womb,  which  will  relieve  the 
tension  and  ease  the  pain,  besides  gently  stimulating  the 
uterus  to  contract  more  forcibly  on  its  contents,  whereby 
the  labor  is  facilitated. 

Stimulating  injections  by  the  bowels,  may  now  and  then 
be  administered — especially  if  the  woman  be  at  all  costive. 
The  midwife  should  also  push  back  with  her  longest  finger 
the  os  coxygis,  which  tends  to  excite  the  labor  and  ease 
the  pain.  If  the  parts  are  in  a  stiff,  straitened  condition, 
as  in  the  first  child,  especially  if  the  woman  is  not  young, 
emollient  liniments  are  to  be  used,  and  the  parts  must  be 
anointed  with  fresh  butter  or  oil,  and  to  be  dilated  gently 
with  the  hand.  If  there  is  a  tumor,  carbuncle,  or  mem- 
brane opposing  the  birth,  the  assistance  of  an  experienced 
surgeon  is  required. 

Always  in  difficult  labors,  the  patient  should  be  made  as 
cheerful  as  possible  by  her  friends,  by  the  recital  of  lively 
and  amusing  anecdotes,  and  by  every  species  of  encourage- 
ment in  their  power ;  as  a  depressed  and  melancholy  state 
of  mind  invariably  retards  the  labor. 

Women  in  labor,  who  have  a  languid  circulation  and  a 
weak  constitution,  are  benefited  by  cordials  and  good  nour- 
ishment. Let  half  a  glass  of  wine  be  given  every  two 
hours,  which  will  invigorate  the  system,  and  render  the 
action  of  the  uterus  more  powerful. 


60  MANAGEMENT   OF   DIFFICULT   BIRTHS. 

If  the  feet  present  first,  the  midwife  must  be  very  cau- 
tious lest  there  be  twins,  and  lest  she  should  take  a  foot  of 
each.  The  feet  must  be  wrapped  in  a  dry  napkin,  and  the 
child  must  be  drawn  gently,  till  the  waist  is  in  the  orifice 
of  the  uterus.  Then  the  infant's  hands  must  be  drawn 
down  close  to  the  sides ;  and  if  the  nose  be  turned  towards 
the  pubic  bone  in  front,  it  should  be  placed  in  an  opposite 
direction  to  prevent  any  obstacle.  If  the  chin  is  embar- 
rassed, the  midwife  must  disengage  it,  by  putting  her  finger 
into  the  mouth,  in  order  to  turn  to  advantage.  In  case  the 
infant's  head  presents  across  the  passage,  or  laterally,  it 
must  be  gently  thrust  back,  and  carefully  turned  to  its 
natural  situation.  If  the  shoulder  presents,  the  same  tact 
and  talent  must  be  employed,  although  the  difficulty  is 
greater.  If  the  belly,  hip,  or  thigh  appears  first,  the  child 
must  be  extricated  by  gentle  traction  made  at  the  feet,  and 
the  mother  must  lie  flat  on  her  back.  If  one  or  both  hands 
are  directed  upward,  above  the  head,  and  lie  close  to  it,  the 
case  is  not  so  bad  as  some  would  apprehend ;  for  they  will 
keep  the  orifice  equally  dilated  till  the  head  passes,  and 
thus  prevent  strangling. 

"When  the  foetus  dies  before  the  time  of  birth,  and  the 
membranes  are  not  yet  ruptured,  it  will  not  putrefy ;  there- 
fore the  work  must  be  left  to  Nature,  for  the  pains  of  labor 
will  at  length  come  on  spontaneously.  Baudelocque  says, 
if  the  navel-cord  first  appears,  and  is  compressed  soon  after 
by  the  head  of  the  infant,  its  life  is  in  danger ;  and  the 
remedy  is  to  return  the  infant,  and  reduce  the  cord,  till  the 
head  fills  the  opening.  But  if  this  cannot  be  done,  the  wo- 
man must  be  put  in  a  suitable  posture,  and  the  child  must 
be  extracted  by  the  feet. 

When  the  placenta  first  presents  itself,  which  is  known 
by  its  spongy,  soft  texture,  and  the  great  quantity  of  blood 
flowing  at  the  same  time,  it  requires  speedy  assistance. 
If  the  membranes  are  entire,  they  should  be  broken,  the 
placenta   and   membranes    should   be  returned  into   the 


IMPRUDENCES  WHICH   CAUSE   ABORTION.  61 

uterus,  and  the  child  be  extracted  by  the  feet  (which  is 
more  readily  effected  in  the  membranes  than  in  the  uterus), 
and  put  into  a  proper  situation.  When  there  is  a  great 
flow  of  blood  from  untoward  accidents,  the  infant  should 
be  immediately  delivered  by  art,  though  the  mother  be  not 
in  true  labor. 

I  would  caution  all  how  they  use  the  instruments  when 
the  mouth  of  the  womb  is  not  fully  opened,  and  never  to 
resort  to  them  unless  actually  compelled  to  do  so  by  some 
serious  danger  which  is  to  be  apprehended  from  delay. 
Many  cases  of  this  kind  do  occur,  it  is  true,  in  large  cities, 
if  one  happens  to  have  a  large  practice  in  this  branch  of 
the  Healing  Art 

ABORTIONS   AND   MISCARRIAGES. 

The  anxiety  of  a  woman  who  desires  to  avoid  preg- 
nancy will  often  lead  her  to  such  dangerous  extremes  that 
she  is  ready  to  risk  health,  and  even  life  itself,  rather  than 
become  a  mother.  Hence  she  earnestly  seeks  the  means 
to  destroy  her  unborn  child.  When  this  is  done  so  early 
that  the  fcetus  cannot  live,  it  is  called  an  abortion.  After 
the  sixth  or  seventh  month,  it  is  a  miscarriage.  Abortions 
are  always  dangerous,  though  some  females  get  over  them 
without  much  suffering  or  harm.  The  most  propitious 
periods  for  an  abortion  are  at  three,  five,  and  six  months. 
Both  abortions  and  miscarriages  are  brought  about  by 
irregularities  of  conduct,  such  as  too  eager  gratification  of 
sexual  desires,  remaining  too  long  in  a  warm  bath,  lacing 
the  corsets  too  tight,  violent  exercise,  such  as  dancing, 
riding  a  hard  trotting  horse,  romping,  joining  long  dis- 
tances, &c.  Any  of  these  imprudences  will  be  apt  to  kill 
the  foetus,  which  will  soon  thereafter  be  expelled  from  the 
womb.  Women  know  the  "moment  the  foetus  dies,  for  it 
falls  to  the  bottom  of  the  abdomen  and  lies  there  a  dead 
weight,  feeling  like  a  foreign  substance  in  the  body. 

Sudden  and  unexpected  violence,  such  as  falling  down 


62  DRUGS   THAT   WILL    CAUSE   ABORTION. 

stairs,  or  being  knocked  down  unexpectedly,  will  produce 
abortion  or  miscarriage,  but  as  these  mishaps  would  be  a 
severe  shock  to  the  nervous  system,  they  endanger  the  life 
of  the  mother.  Any  unnatural  efforts  to  produce  abortion, 
such  as  forcing  the  mouth  of  the  womb,  or  taking  power- 
ful medicines,  are  also  t.c  igcrous,  as  these  may  cause  flood- 
ing that  cannot  be  stopped.  Bleeding  too  freely  will  bring 
on  an  abortion  in  some  women,  and  on  others  will  have 
no  effect. 

Ergot  of  Rye  is  sometimes  given  by  physicians  to  pro- 
duce abortion  in  V  early  stages  of  gestation.  It  is  the 
diseased  seeds  of  the  common  rye/ called  grown  rye.  It 
acts  specifically  on  the  uterus,  br  womb,  increasing  its  con- 
tractile energy.  Ergot  is  not  only  a  powerful  promoter  of 
abortions  and  miscarriages,  but  it  is  given  to  women  as  a 
stimulant  to  uterine  action  during  labor,  and  also  to  check 
hemorrhage.  The  dose,  in  powder,  is  fifteen  to  twenty 
grains  repeated  every  twenty  minutes  until  the  desired 
effect  is  produced,  or  until  one  dram  is  taken.  Or,  a  dram 
of  ergot  may  be  infused  in  four  fluid  ounces  of  boiling  wa- 
ter, and  one-third  taken  as  a  dose,  and  the  other  two  doses 
(if  necessary)  at  intervals  of  twenty  minutes.  On  some 
women  it  will  produce  not  only  abortion  at  three  or  five 
months,  but  even  a  miscarriage,  particularly  when  the 
foetus  is  male.  There  is  no  doubt  that  many  women  can 
escape  child-bearing  by  the  use  of  ergot,  but  it  would  be 
better  for  any  one  to  get  it  from  her  family  physician,  who 
would  know  something  of  her  constitution,  than  to  pay  a 
hundred  times  its  worth  to  a  quack,  and  perhaps  endanger 
life  or  health  by  taking  more  than  is  prudent,  and  at  an 
improper  time.  Oil  of  Tansey  is  another  article  used  to 
bring  on  the  monthly  turn,  and  in  some  cases  it  will  stop 
the  course  of  gestation  if  taken  at  the  time  the  turn  is  due. 
Two  or  three  drops  only  are  necessary  for  a  dose.  In  some 
women,  a  considerable  dose  will  cause  a  miscarriage  at 
three  months. 


DRUGS   THAT  EXCITE   THE    SEXUAL   ORGANS.  63 

Abortions  arc  sometimes  produced  under  the  direction 
of  physicians  by  inserting  a  small  hand  up  into  the  Yagina, 
and  feeling  for  the  mouth  of  the  Womb  with  the  finger. 
A  little  extract  of  Belladonna  is  used  to  promote  the  relax- 
ation of  its  mouth,  and  by  the  most  gentle  means  possible 
the  finger  may  force  a  passage,  wh  -  flooding  at  once  en- 
sues, and  the  fcetus  will  generally  be  expelled  soon  after. 
Women  who  submit  to  this  operation  run  some  risk  of 
losing  their  lives,  and  hence  a  physician  will  seldom  en- 
danger his  reputation  by  advising  it,  except  in  extreme 
perilous  cases. 

Abortions  and  Miscarriages  being  in  collision  with  Na- 
ture's laws,  should  never  be  resorted  to  except  in  extreme 
cases,  and  then  only  under  medical  advice. 

APHRODISIACS,    OR   LOVE   POWDERS. 

Many  quack  doctors  advertise  medicines  to  stimulate 
the  procreative  powers,  and  thus  create  a  desire  for  sexual 
intercourse.  These  are  sold  at  enormous  prices,  and  are 
often  useless,  for  the  reason  that  the  venders  of  them  can- 
not know  anything  at  all  of  their  patients,  and  must  fix 
the  dose  so  as  to  suit  the  most  delicate  temperament  for 
fear  of  injurious  effects.  The  drugs  used  for  this  purpose 
are  sold  by  every  apothecary,  and  indeed  at  almost  any 
country  store.     We  will  mention  some  of  them : 

Cannabis  Indica  is  the  principal  article  used  in  making 
love  powders.  It  acts  powerfully  on  the  nerves,  excites 
the  sexual  organs,  and  increases  their  activity.  The  quan- 
tity to  be  taken  differs  with  different  persons — too  large  a 
dose  producing  extraordinary  excitement  and  sexual  de- 
sire, which  is  followed  by  corresponding  prostration,  both 
mental  and  physical.  The  proper  use  of  this  drug  is  not 
detrimental  to  health. 

Phosphorus  is  another  article  used  in  making  prepara- 
tions to  excite  the  sexual  organs.  It  has  a  disagreeable 
smell,  and  must  necessarily  be  disguised  as  much  as  pos- 


64  DRUGS  THAT  EXCITE   THE   SEXUAL   ORGANS. 

sible.  It  is  powerful  in  its  effects,  and  has  frequently  been 
known  to  excite  women  so  furiously  as  to  make  them  dis- 
card all  prudence  and  abandon  themselves  to  licentious 
indulgence.  Phosphorated  Oil  of  Almonds,  flavored  with 
bergamot,  can  be  introduced  into  almost  any  gelatinous 
substance  to  disguise  the  taste  of  the  phosphorus.  Dose, 
from  five  to  ten  drops  of  the  oil. 

Ether  will  affect  some  females  very  curiously,  making 
them  amorous  and  imparting  a  strong  desire  to  cohabit 
with  their  husbands.  On  some,  again,  it  has  no  such  effect 
at  all.  The  dose  of  Nitrous  Ether  is  from  ten  to  forty 
drops ;  or  if  you  prefer  Sweet  Spirits  of  Nitre,  take  half  a 
fluid  dram  up  to  twelve  drams. 

Strong  Coffee  is  a  direct  stimulant  of  the  generative  or- 
gans, and  if  taken  in  large  quantities  does  not  fail  to  pro- 
duce marked  effects. 

Ergot  of  Rye  is  taken  by  some  women  to  bring  on  their 
expected  monthly  turn  when  they  fear  they  may  have  be- 
come pregnant.  It  acts  as  a  stimulant  and  an  invigorater 
of  the  sexual  powers.  Dose,  in  powder,  fifteen  to  twenty 
grains. 

Saltpetre  acts  also  as  a  stimulant  to  the  sexual  organs, 
and  causes  a  desire  to  cohabit.  It  is  taken  in  daily  doses 
of  five  to  ten  grains,  in  the  form  of  purified  Nitrate  of 
Potassa. 

Cantharides,  or  Spanish  Flies,  is  a  direct  stimulant  of  the 
sexual  feeling  in  some  people.  It  is  taken  as  a  tincture,  in 
doses  of  ten  to  twenty  drops,  and  should  be  used  with 
great  caution. 

THE   END. 


